ransforming Degraded and Post-Mining Lands: The AgriTerra Nusantara Alliance (ATNA) Consortium Initiates Program for Food, Energy, and Carbon Economic Value Security

In response to the challenges of environmental degradation, land conversion, and the growing threats to food and energy security, the AgriTerra Nusantara Alliance (ATNA) Consortium has initiated a strategic program for the transformation and restoration of degraded lands. This cross-sector initiative is designed as a concrete step toward restoring marginal and post-mining lands across Indonesia by integrating academic expertise, private sector investment, and applied technology to generate sustainable added value.

Background and Strategic Context

Indonesia faces a significant challenge with the accumulation of degraded land and abandoned mining sites. Data indicates that hundreds of thousands of hectares impacted by mining land conversion remain un-reclaimed, posing an active ecological liability.

The initiation of the ATNA Consortium aligns with national policy frameworks and regulatory mandates, including:

1. Food Sovereignty: Law No. 18 of 2012 on Food, utilizing restored post-mining land as strategic food reserves.

2. Energy Independence: Cultivating bioenergy crops on marginal lands to support the national energy transition.

3. Ecological Resilience & Carbon Economic Value (NEK): Presidential Regulation No. 98 of 2021 and Presidential Regulation No. 110 of 2025 regarding Carbon Economic Value (NEK) Implementation, alongside Presidential Regulation No. 14 of 2024 on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which enable self-sustaining restoration funding for degraded lands via global carbon market mechanisms.

4. National Defense Framework: Law No. 3 of 2002 on State Defense and Law No. 23 of 2019 on the Management of National Resources for State Defense (PSDN).

Three Operational Pillars of the ATNA Consortium

The operational scope of the ATNA Consortium centers around three primary tracks:

1. Track 1: Food Security Agriculture (Integrated Agribusiness) Development of sustainable agribusiness landscape designs incorporating intercropping systems (vegetables, fruits, and conservation plants such as Calliandra), agrosilvopastoral practices, aquaculture, and carbon market integration.

2. Track 2: Renewable Energy Transition (Agrivoltaics) Implementation of integrated agriculture and solar power systems (agrivoltaics) and the development of bioenergy feedstocks on marginal lands to bolster national energy resilience.

3. Track 3: Carbon Economic Value (NEK) & Ecosystem Restoration Restoration of post-mining lands using internationally recognized methodologies (e.g., Verra VM0047 – ARR). The Carbon Economic Value mechanism serves to finance premium ecosystem restoration to significantly enhance biodiversity and hydrological functions.

Target and Project Locations

Within its strategic roadmap, the ATNA Consortium has identified several target and pilot project locations, including:

• West Java: Potential land allocation in Karyawangi Village, Parongpong District, West Bandung Regency (focused on horticulture and coffee).

• Sulawesi: Environmental recovery and restoration programs in nickel mining landscape impact zones, with a total restoration target potential of up to 250,000 hectares.

• Lampung & Central Java: Register 45 area in Mesuji Regency (Lampung) and Losari Village, Rawalo District, Banyumas Regency (Central Java).

• Peatland Ecosystem Restoration: Rehabilitation programs targeting degraded wetlands and peatland areas.

Academic Commitment & Outlook

Through the integration of applied research and actionable implementation models, the ATNA Consortium aims to restore environmental quality while transforming underutilized land into high-value strategic assets for community welfare and national sustainability.