In her Corporate Plan, Kebun Raya Indonesia (KRI) states her corporate mission as
To carry out that mission, KRI has set up five projects: the Inventory and Study of Fruit Plants; the Inventory and Study of Ornamental Plants; the Inventory and Study of Carbohydrate and Protein-producing Plants; and the Inventory and Study of Microflora.
With these projects, KRI will present scientific information on selected Indonesian plant species, develop appropriate conservation strategies, increase the number of her collections, and produce plant materials for agriculture, landscaping and industry. Those are the goals of this programme.
TO reach these goals, KRI needs to conmtinue her exploration activities which were started in 1991, strengthen and expand her cooperative links with research institutions, government agencies, and private companies. Whenever possible the projects are linkede with universities to enable KRI's staff to gain postgraduate degrees.
Cooperation is one of the highlights of KRI, which has been carried out successfully since 1990. The Research Programme can not be carried out successfully without cooperation.
Now KRI formally invites senior scientists from through the world to conduct cooperative works on Indonesia flora.
The Indonesian Network for Plant Conservation (INetPC), which is a product of the 1992 Kebun Raya Bogor International Conference, has been playing an active role in cooperation. INetPC is linked with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Australian Network for Plant Conservation (ANPC), and International Association of Botanic Gardens (IABG).
KRI sees cooperation with Herbarium Bogoriense and Department of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation (PHPA) as vital for her mission, whilst cooperation with biological, agricultural, biotechnological institutions and universities are also important
One of KRI's research projects is dealing with the traditional use of Indonesian plants. Cooperation with tribes in study areas is also vital.
Based on her 4-year experience of exploration throughout the Indonesian Archipelago, KRI estimates that her budget needs as Rp. 500 million per year or Rp. 2.5 billion for 5 years (equivalent to US$200,000 and US$1,000,000 respectively).
KRI hopes to get this budget from the Government's Dana Reboisasi (Rehabilitation Fund) as indicated by President Soeharto at the Jakarta Presidential Palace at the end of Kebun Raya International Seminar on 7-9 July 1994.
Since budget security is basic to KRI's success, the Rp. 2.5 billion will be saved in a bank; KRI will use only the interest (about 10%) for her research activities. This method, as suggested by President Soerharto to the Director of KRI, has been practiced successfully with the support money from the Indonesian Forestry Society (MPI).
In selecting groups of flora to be investigated, those wild and native to the Malesian region are given the highest priority. In addition, economic potential, rarity (endangerment), distinctiveness, and conservation problems faced by groups or species of plants also determine the priorities.
To study the traditional uses of the Indonesian flora, the least influence of modern life on the areas inhabited by certain tribes is considered.
To develop conservation strategies for the Indonesian flora, ecological, physiological, taxonomic, phenological, morphological, biogeographical, horticultural, ethnobotanical, and biological aspects will be studied. Chemical studies also need to be conducted to discover the medicinal substances of medicinal plants. Studies of the micropropagation of economically important as well as rare and endangered plants will also be done.
The traditional knowledge of plant usage is a culture transmitted from generation to generation from the early years of human life. This invaluable knowledge also needs to be documented and conserved before being lost through modernisation.
Flora monitoring will be conducted in several conservation areas eg. Gunung Gede Pangrango National park, Kerinci Seblat National Park, Meru Betiri National Park.
The research staff are divided into 6 projects for the inventory and study of: