Food Sovereignty and The Fate of Farmers By : Nirwan Sahiri The Chronology of History Food is fundamental object in human life, that extremely easy to be use as political issues, especially on countries with strategic agricultural potentials. Food also extremely influential in economic constellation, it could be easily affect movement of the price more consumption stuffs. Just imagine if the price 1 kg of rice soared there will be an influence on improvement price more consumption stuffs. Imagine also in case of food shortage at nation especially on the poor countries, there will be enormous political turmoils. Food also extremely close connected with increasing health status because the relations of nutritional status. If nutritional status was not in the normal range, then impact on health status and will be creating poor nutritional status for peoples. There are many other potential impacts if we talk about the foods, because strategic role for nations. Developing assumptions about role foods life a nation, and the impact from industrial revolution, the green revolution as well panic on world famine with increase in human population which like to rise rapidly, lead to massive application of the strategy for save the country from threat by food shortages. Massif strategy developed by developing countries which agricultural potential at world was the green movement to be movement intensification and new fields in Indonesia known of rice self sufficiency movement at the time of new orders. The movement is done with self sufficiency rice intensification approach throughout the productive area in Indonesia which led to conversion new land into paddy fields. Almost all potential local food movement is lost by expansion of rice. Everywhere the farmer were distributed seeds and introduced modern agricultural inputs as well agricultural machinery equipments. All the farmer into farmer groups mobilized for support by rice self-sufficiency movement, they was forgetting about the potential diversity local foods is foods tradition since the time of their ancestors. The diversity foods be eliminated with the movement to eat by rices. Farmers corn, sago farmer, local rice farmers become reduced in number with transition into rice paddy with intensification systems. Rice self-sufficiency movement program in Indonesia and in the world lead to the increased using of synthetic inputs and using agricultural machinery. Usage the facilities and infrastructure has resulted in improvement industrial products like supporting fertilizer industry, pesticide industry, agricultural machinery industry, construction of agricultural research centers both at central and regional levels, increased role more than derivatives factors like industry produce high yielding varieties GM crops for areas plants. In addition, institutional capacity building of farmer groups through technical training also aggressively implemented. All the power of farmer and state power directed for succeed of this movements. Some of the effects is happening from this movement which can be felt today was follows: Reduced the potential genetic diversity of local varieties owned by the farmer, Loss of some organisms in the ecosystem which led to new pest attacks and diseases at agricultural lands, which caused by using of chemical pesticides and the introduction of high yielding varieties which was not local specific Loss of of local food wisdom which is based on the the diversity foods, caused by the motion of eating rice, Increased soil degradation due to intensive using chemical fertilizers, 5) damage occurs the agricultural ecosystems because expansion of new paddy fields through monocultures, and encroachment land by farmers land with big plantation the food sector other than of rice like large plantations producing plants consumption, Impoverishment the farmer because demands rice self-sufficiency movement , while the price of rice be controlled by the state, and input costs on the intensification program extremely high or capital intensive,Loss of diversified biologicals. Farmers drained their energy just for production of rice for most peoples in urban areas. Farmers in Indonesia previously never food shortage because still embrace local food cultures , but today more farmers which suffering from food shortage caused by the destruction of ecosystems and loss of agricultural diversity by local food traditions and rely heavily on rices. Indonesian farmers like rural dwellers which deprived access for agricultural land, while the national spatial for agricultural areas not defined by laws. There are many other negative impacts adoption by policies that was not based on a consideration balance environment and farmers welfare. The Empirical Facts Many lands damaged by intensification of agriculture and the plantation as well mining activities. Many farmers’ land taken over by big plantation because the expansion of planting area in the framework achieve the production target and using monoculture systems. Not only that, ever increasing number of farmers which leave their farm and choose for become urban workers and there switched professions and the other production areas. In addition, more increased activity on new residential development and establishment state-controlled economic region which occupies productive agricultural lands and the plantations. Spatial plans agriculture, the plantation and forestry has been no ruling, based on national laws. Farmers today steadily decreasing interest in agriculture, and prefer turning on more productive enterprises. As a result much abandoned land, although land was productive. Degradation at more agricultural world days continues to concern, more poor farmer and unemployment ever increasing while state does not have a firm policy for alignments the farmers. Much farmers are intimidated by the power of nation when dealing with big plantation authorities, and there has been a structural impoverishment and oppression caused by deprivation of agricultural lands owned by the farmers. What kind food sovereignty for the farmer? The concept food sovereignty through self-sufficiency movement with movement approach or movement intensification of lowland rice, self sufficiency rice has been proved serious impact for environment and the fate of farmer in Indonesia. Damaged agricultural ecosystems may decrease farm productivity and will be much in land trouble and affects fate of the farmers. In addition,reduce tenure land by farmer increased. The concept food sovereignty like what appropriately applied for improve the welfare and fate of our farmers. If planning spatial structure implications from national agriculture as fundamental agrarian laws of 1960 could be at the nation assertiveness forward and improvement local food campaign as well specifically diversification local organic foods into a massive movement, this is called a speck of hope amid adversity agriculture , rural and the farmers which did not improves. Agricultural lands has been largely dominated by investors from urban areas and much the plantation companies and big-scale farms, while ever increasing dependence of rice, plus degradation agricultural land increasingly acute, becoming big problem for today. It was difficult if the farmer can be realize resurrection above problems was not interfered with by the state for resolutions. Strengthening movements that allow the farmer with such conditions, can only be performed by farmer which still have lands (not peasants), still hoped on production using by lands, still adhered tradition of food diversity, still adhered cultural traditions associated with agriculture, as well wisdom other traditional still strong. Atmosphere as it was is only found in the lives of indigenous peoples living beside forest areas or around the outskirts of the forests. What about the fate of farmer which previously been entangled with the pattern of agricultural intensification and mostly located on the land areas contained within lowlands?
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 01:22:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015