Indigenous Practices from West Jawa
In the heart of the tropics, where sunshine and rain work in perfect balance, lies a country with some of the most fertile soils in the world—Indonesia. In particular, the province of West Java has been a rich agricultural area. However, this agricultural haven has faced significant challenges in recent years due to intensive industrial farming. The demand for agricultural commodities like palm oil, rubber, and coffee is as high as ever. In 2022, global pressures such as climate change, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine resulted in skyrocketing costs of cooking oil for Indonesian consumers. In response, the Indonesian government controversially imposed an export ban on palm oil in April 2022 as global prices continued to rise during the pandemic.
For decades, the global demand for these agricultural products has driven the expansion of farming operations, accompanied by the excessive use of pesticides and, even more concerning, widespread deforestation and increased dangers posed by forest and plantation fires. The consequences have been severe, particularly in regions like West Java, and other significant food production areas. There, soil fertility has been drastically declining, negatively impacting rice production. Prof. Dr. Teguh Kurniawan and Epakartika Kurniawan from the University of Indonesia have shed new light on these vulnerabilities, highlighting the urgent need for action.
Within their research, one avenue emerges as exceptionally promising, both from an ecological and a political standpoint: the reinvigoration of an indigenous traditional farming practice known as “talun-kebun.” The “talun-kebun” system orchestrates the harmonious coexistence of annual food crops or commercial crops (“kebun”) with tree crops (“talun”), fostering a sustainable agroforestry and permaculture system that has been an intrinsic part of West Java’s agricultural legacy for centuries.
The researchers suggest a decrease in rice production in favour of alternative crops like local fruits, which contribute significantly to biodiversity and the health of ecosystems. Additionally, they highlight cassava as a carbohydrate-rich substitute for rice. Harnessing indigenous wisdom, exemplified by practices such as “talun-kebun,” through the formulation of government policies at both the central and regional levels, represents a potent strategy for fostering the development of this practice, particularly in the critical domain of land rehabilitation. This, in turn, has the potential to significantly bolster sustainable food security.
The researchers, therefore, advocate for the preservation and continuity of the “talun-kebun” practice, recognizing its pivotal roles in ensuring food security, sustaining economic viability, enhancing social welfare, and safeguarding our fragile environment. To achieve this, they recommend government support for farmers, encompassing both financial assistance and facilitating access to abandoned lands for those without land ownership.
The importance of resurrecting age-old farming practices and subjecting them to rigorous research cannot be overstated. Such practices, often steeped in history, harbor untapped potential. Ecological solutions, dormant for decades, beckon us to unearth them. It is imperative that we delve into the annals of history, acknowledging the wisdom of indigenous knowledge. In doing so, we not only breathe new life into these practices but also unearth reservoirs of sustainable solutions that may lie hidden in plain sight across the globe.
