Rice field plots scattered throughout the Pasir Gadung, four hours ride from Jakarta, have been the source of survival for Nani and his father Adul for many years. The rice field that provides them with money is no longer theirs. Every piece of land has been purchased by the developers.
Located near the Jakarta-Merak trade route, Pasir Gadung Village, Cikupa Subdistrict; Wanakerta Village, Sindang Jaya Subdistrict, Tangerang Regency; and its surroundings are strategic locations for residences. As a result, many property developers are encouraged to do business in the area. The control map over farmers’ rice fields is being contested by several companies.
Amid the country’s development efforts, the phenomenon of agricultural land conversion continues to occur. Conversion of farmland into residential and industrial areas is inevitable, especially in areas around cities. Although there are efforts to retain these agricultural lands, for example with the Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) policy, the realization of the policy is inconsistent and continues to erode the farmland of the community. As a result, the economic livelihood of the farming community is at stake and, on a large scale, affects the country’s food security, leading to dependence on imported food products.
“I used to own some land here, but I have sold them,” says Adul during a recent interview on Wednesday (November 8th, 2023). He explained that he had sold his land to one of the companies. However, the company still provides an opportunity to work on the rice fields while they are not yet under construction. As a form of agreement, the company prints letters of workmanship and distributes them to farmers who cultivate on company-owned land.
In addition to other corporations allegedly involved in the losses suffered by farmers in the area, Nani and his father assert that there are three companies controlling the area. The first and most noticeable company when entering the area was the residential developer of Suvarna Sutera, PT Delta Mega Persada. The second is PT Jaya Garden Polis, which develops the Puri Jaya residential area. The third company is PT Sukapraja Estetika Padang Golf, which manages Kedaton Golf and Country Club.
For their own economic benefit, the three businesses have been purchasing and selling land from farmers. They employ a variety of strategies to seize strategically important property; if needed, they will even use coercion or threats.
“The company often sealed up land that still belonged to residents and lands that were not purchased successfully. Residents who wanted to get out of the private land, could not, they had to use a ladder. If someone from the company sees them, they will remove the ladders,” Nani said, describing the company’s oppressive attitude towards residents who were still defending their land.
While our investigation team has attempted to request interviews with each of the companies strongly suspected of contributing to the loss of farmers’ land, all of them have remained unresponsive. As of the publication of this article, there has been no follow-up from these companies.
The company’s pressure on landowners is also being reflected by the Head of the Government Section (Kasipem) of the Wanakerta Village Office, Abdurahman Julian Syah. In the same way that Nani told his story, Julian also said that the farmers were in an all-or-nothing situation when dealing with the company. ”We are forced to sell our land, otherwise we get locked up. If we refuse to yield, they will shut off our irrigation system. There is no doubt about it, what choice do we have?” he said.
Julian stated that there are no more records regarding Wanakerta Village’s agricultural land. Nearly all the rice fields in Wanakerta have been sold to developers, and without any kind of development procedure by companies, the area would simply turn into a wasteland as the irrigation facilities have also been eliminated.
“There practically no agriculture in Wanakerta, and the reason for this is that all of the irrigations system are broken. They have been sealed off on purpose. The river channels that irrigate the rice fields in this area have been covered with concrete,” Julian explained. As a result of the closure, farmers had to buy water to irrigate their crops, leading to higher costs.
Business and industry sector put food security at risk
With a population of more than 273 million people, Indonesia requires a large supply of food to meet the needs of the people. However, the amount of land that produces food products is limited. Despite its vast territory, two-thirds of Indonesia is ocean, and its terrain is not always suitable for agricultural activities.
Hartuti Purnaweni, a professor of environmental governance at Diponegoro University’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, says that Java is the ideal place for agricultural activities. Java holds for 50% of rice output, Indonesia’s primary food source. However, because Java is the focal point of practically every aspect of Indonesian society, the island is overcrowded with varied interests and activities. As a result, little space remains for agricultural activity.
According to Iskandar Lubis, Professor of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at IPB, amid population growth and urbanization, people’s need for lands for various activities, such as industry and settlements, continues to increase. This reduces the economic worth of paddy fields compared to when they are used as shopping areas, industries, or settlements. Because of its low economic value, paddy fields are vulnerable to being converted for other purposes.
The loss of agricultural land due to function conversion undoubtedly impacts the country’s food security, especially in the face of rising population growth rates. Even with the threat of climate change, the national agricultural sector must continue to meet domestic food needs. Even so, Indonesia has not done well in terms of food security. According to Economist Impact, a European think-tank organization, Indonesia ranked 63rd out of 113 countries on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) in 2022. Indonesia performs best in Affordability, scoring 81.4, and worst in Sustainability and Adaptability, with a score of 46.3.
The ever-increasing consumption and demand for rice means that Indonesia cannot fulfill its own food needs. To increase domestic rice reserves and obtain it at a cheaper price, the government’s import policy is often the mainstay, as if there is no other choice. This strategy can indeed fulfill people’s food needs. However, this policy also prevents Indonesia from achieving food sovereignty, which the government has always strived for.
In response to this, the government has created LP2B, a policy which is expected to be a solution to limit the rate of land conversion. With a detailed objective, this policy seems to be a reliable alternative solution. The lands, which have great potential to be a source of agricultural produce, are protected by the state and are banned from being converted.
However, this policy is not implemented consistently and keeps changing. Sadly many lands such as in Pasir Gadung and Wanakerta are not ptotected by LP2B. The only way to achieve food independence, or at least food security, is to gain food products domestically as for Indonesia by securing land for farming. The conversion of rice fields into property is an obstacle to achieving food security for the country.
