The Tapanuli Selatan District, located in North Sumatra, Indonesia, is critical to people and nature. Over 70% of the district  is covered by forest areas, including part of the Batang Toru Forest Ecosystem – a key source of fresh water and home to the endangered Tapanuli orangutan and Sumatran tiger. These forests are part of an important biodiversity corridor in North Sumatra, connecting forests of western Sumatra to the Leuser Ecosystem.

The district is also a key agricultural production area for commodities such as palm oil, coffee, cocoa, timber, and otherscontributing around 85% of local income. However, growing challenges such as forest loss, floods, and landslides, along with a rising demand for more sustainable commodities, led the local government to develop a District Action Plan for Sustainable Palm Oil, with support from UNDP and Konservasi Indonesia.

The Tapanuli Selatan District Initiative was established to support the implementation of this Action Plan and other government strategies for improving the sustainability of palm oil and other commodities. This includes prioritizing the protection of forests through restoration, conservation, and improved natural resource management.

This initiative has 3 main objectives:

• Improve Livelihoods by strengthening the capacity of farmers and local communities to adopt sustainable production practices for increased agricultural yields while also establishing business models for improved income and greater access to markets.
• Increase Sustainable Production of ISPO, RSPO certified, and regenerative palm oil through farmer training, technical supportand by strengthening the Tapanuli Selatan’s Sustainable Palm Oil Forum (FoKSBI), which plays a key role in coordinating the implementation of the District Action Plan. 
• Protect and Restore Critical Ecosystems through improved forest management planning, collaborative monitoring and response systems, as well as by implementing direct interventions, such as forest patrols and social forestry programs.

Multiple stakeholders are working towards these goals in the district – through government programs, private sector investments, and civil society initiatives.  We are already seeing positive impacts of the collective action to date. In 2023, the national government of Indonesia recognized these collective efforts by awarding Tapanuli Selatan first place among 103 regencies in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Awards, a testament to the district’s leadership in advancing sustainable development goals.

Tapanuli Selatan is also playing a key role beyond its borders. Through the Coalition for Sustainable Livelihoods (CSL), the district is actively sharing knowledge, models, and tools for sustainable development with other jurisdictional initiatives across North Sumatra and Aceh. Through this spirit of collective action, CSL is helping to ensure these initiatives are coordinated, aligned, and anchored in government support — achieving greater and longer-lasting impacts for people and nature.