Action Across the Archipelago

Rice is Indonesia’s main staple crop. In fact, the word for rice is synonymous with food. Farmers rarely grow other crops on any scale because they are simply not as valued. But by depending so heavily on one crop, farmers will never be self-sufficient in terms of food, and will continue to face hunger. Our program in Indonesia aims to promote sustainable farming to help rebuild degraded soils and increase farmers’ and policy makers’ understanding of agro-biodiversity as a means to food sovereignty.

How We Help
USC works primarily with farmers who earn their living exclusively through farming either in lowland areas or in mountainous upland areas. In those areas where we work, farmers have a hard time earning enough income from their harvests because the soil is no longer fertile. For nearly 50 years, the central government has promoted Green Revolution policies, urging the use of synthetic, chemical inputs that have contaminated the land.

Fields in upland areas are better, but soils there are thin and stony to begin with, perched on steep slopes. In both cases, the land has been managed improperly and simply cannot provide enough food. USC’s partner in Indonesia – SATUNAMA – is helping farmers develop the skills they need to improve soils and manage those lands.

Farmers are victims of the industrial agricultural system. Local seeds and organic fertilizers and pesticides have been set aside in favour of imported, costly hybrid seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and chemical pesticides – inputs that must be purchased year after year. Farmers do not earn enough from their harvests to cover these costs. SATUNAMA is working with farming communities to diversify their food supply, conserve and plant local seeds, and use organic fertilizers and pesticides, which reduce overhead costs and don’t do the same damage to the soil.

Program Components
USC has worked in Indonesia continuously since 1975. Our partner – SATUNAMA – is carrying out projects in both the Central Region, around Yogyakarta and Central Java, and in the Flores Island cluster (Manggarai, Solor, and Adonara). Activities include:

• Training and workshops in agro-biodiversity that enhance farmer knowledge about biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural practices. Topics covered in the training include the importance of planting local crops, making and using organic inputs, soil ecology, rice and vegetable cultivation, composting techniques, and organic pest management.
• Establishing community gene banks, organizing farmer seed exchanges, and encouraging farmers to plant vegetable gardens to increase biodiversity and ensure family nutrition.
• Terracing sloped lands and planting trees (including fruit trees) to conserve critical dryland soil.
• Establish agro-economic enterprises to build alternative sources of income for farmers, such as sale of fruit from the trees planted for soil conservation, processing crops like cassava, rice, and corn into snacks, and producing traditional herbal medicines.
• Building clean water supply systems that bring potable water to communities and increase the availability of water for household gardens in the dry season.
• Raising farmer awareness about the benefits of planting local food crops
• Engaging local government representatives in a dialogue about the need for policies that promote local seeds and inputs that are friendly to farmers and the environment.

USC projects in Indonesia are located in Java, Flores, Solor, and Adonara. In addition, USC is supporting post-tsunami work in Aceh province.