Interventions and development strategy for sustainable transformation of upland agricultural systems in West Sumatra, Indonesia | |
| Author | Dendi, Astia |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.AS-03-05 |
| Subject(s) | Land degradation--Indonesia--Sumatra Sustainable agriculture--Indonesia--Sumatra Agricultural systems--Indonesia--Sumatra |
| Note | A dissertation submitted impartial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Dissertation ; no. AS-03-05 |
| Abstract | Degradation of natural resource-base, food insecurity and poverty represent a critical triangle of challenge facing many developing countries, including Indonesia. Currently, about seventy percent of Indonesian terrestrial land is covered by forests, but due to the rapid deforestation at a rate of about 1.6 million hectares per year, researchers are focused on understanding the significance and interactions of factors underlying the problem. The rate of forest lost might increase in future considering the persistent rapid population growth and related impacts of economic crisis facing Indonesia since 1997. Although knowledge and understanding about physical and biochemical agents and process leading to resource degradation have rapidly increased over times, scholars and policy makers, however, have no common and comprehensive understanding about linkage between deforestation, resource degradation and poverty. Meanwhile, although development organizations in developing countries have increasingly adopted participatory approaches in the transformation toward sustainable resources management, there has been increasing critics on its implementation modalities and scale of success. To address these issues in a coherent manner, a study was conducted in selected Minangkabau villages, so called nagari in East Rao watershed of West Sumatra in Indonesia, using structured household interview and various participatory data collection methods, and combining different levels of analysis ranging from farm-household-to- watershed and regional level in which principal component or factor analysis procedure together with qualitative techniques of data analysis were employed. More specifically, the study objectives were to: (i) explore and understand vulnerability of fanners’ livelihoods and their resource base degradation; (ii) examine and understand directions and significant factors underlying the evolution of farming systems in the study area; (iii) suggest how farmers’ circumstances and practices might be modified toward a more sustainable agricultural system. Data collection in the field was done during January 2002 until October 2002. Four nagari were selected to represent the study area, namely Nagari Lubuak Gadang, Nagari Silayang, Nagari Pintu Padang, and nagari Muaro Sungai Lolo. The first two nagari represent those with relatively stronger or effective Customary Community’s Institutions, while the rest represent ‘Nagari' with relatively weak Customary Community’s Institutions. A total of 137 households, representing agricultural extension and non-agricultural extension target group in the identified ‘Nagari’ were interviewed in addition, more than 100 key persons at various levels of administration ranging from village to provincial level were also interviewed. In general, people in the study area have low education and are economically poor. Considerable diversity, however, do exists in (i) total land holding; (ii) initial endowment of lands in terms of forests, bush lands, imperata grasslands and old orchards; (iii) the extent of household’s food security, and (iv) income structure. Farmers hold land on the basis of communal rights governed by customary rules and regulations according to Minangkabau’s matrilineal system. According to Minangkabau system adopted in the study area, the land may be allocated for individuals use but it is permanently inalienable. Thus, the common property in Minangkabau society in West Sumatra differs from that ‘open access’, although it shares core dilemma underlying almost all resource degradation and environmental problems. Approximately 60% of households living in the area remain actively engaged in shifting cultivation practices, whilst they adopt tree-based cultivation system on other parcels of land. This indicates that, regardless effectiveness of the Community’s Customary Institutions and participation in collective learning, the adoption of trees cultivation systems by shifting cultivators, appears to be a complementary strategy rather than a departure from shifting cultivation practices as it was assumed or designed to be. Interestingly, the study also revealed that only after 100 years since Dutch colonial government first introduced it, was the wetland rice cultivation system considerably adopted by some farmers. Substantial declining of dry land rice yield under slash-and-bum cultivation system and extended dry season over last three years were important arguments of farmers to develop wetland rice cultivation system wherever potential. The factor analysis generated a six-factor solution, with a satisfactory explanatory power (cumulative variance explained 62%), explaining the significance and direction of changes of the farmers’ behavior and practices. These factors were identified as (i) market participation dynamics (ii) household labor endowment; (iii) effectiveness of the community conflicts resolution mechanism; (iv) participation in collective learning; (v) tenurial dynamics and security, and; (vi) sustenance of food security. In general, all variables underlying respective factors show positive sign of interdependency. While the formal land title from the State is not an interest for the majority of the respondents, they do consider a long-term tenurial implications in the investment of their limited resources. Overall, approximately 50 percent of households are highly indebted to village traders to whom these farmers are obliged to sell their farm products. However, these farmers perceived their reliance to their patronage traders more as a solution to the problems facing them rather than a problem in itself. Meanwhile, the factor analysis solution in combination with focused group interviews suggest that, farmers who have successfully produced various products usually have much greater bargaining power in the transaction and are substantially relaxed from the debt trap. These findings of study point to the importance of the multilevel and time series analysis, and call for coherent, a broader focus, and evolutionary mode of development interventions that aim to develop enabling framework conditions for farmers and their institutions to cope with their vulnerability and resource-base degradation issues. The analysis suggests that enhancement rather than detachment of the patron-client relationship may create a win-win outcome to tackle poverty, food insecurity and resource degradation problems. I In line with this perspective, improvement of transportation, availability of information, availability of accessible investment capital, as well as support in quality control and assurance may go in this win-win direction. Furthermore, Since the underlying factors of these problems are diverse and dynamics, and because they require solutions beyond the existing capacities of the local community and organizations, enhancing dialogs, flexible exchange of knowledge and responsibility sharing among all relevant stakeholders at all levels should be one of the key principles of development strategy toward sustainability goal and objectives in future. |
| Year | 2003 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Dissertation ; no. AS-03-05 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (Former title: Department of Food Agriculture, and BioResources (DFAB)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Agricultural and Aquatic Systems(AS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shivakoti, Ganesh P.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Dale, Reidar;Suvedi, Murari;Ranamukhaarachchi, S. L.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA); |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2003 |