Are indigenous people conservationists?From forested landscapes to monocultures domination in Indonesia

Laurène Feintrenie (CIFOR)

Stefan Schwarze (University of Göttingen)

Patrice Levang (IRD, CIFOR)

Bungo, in Jambi

Pesisir, in Lampung

Lore Lindu region, in Central Sulawesi

A changing landscape

Innocent victims of economic globalization,or active stakeholders of agriculture

intensification?

Bungo, in Jambi

Pesisir, in Lampung

Lore Lindu region, in Central Sulawesi

Quick perception survey

• Pros and cons of agroforestry vs monoculture

• Merits and draw-backs of the different plantations

• Perception of the landscape and prediction of its

evolution

• 9 to 12 villages per site, on a range of agriculture

intensification and distance to the forest

• 30 respondents/village

• Total: 802 respondents

Malaya

Gunung Kemala Pahmungan

Tenumbang

Sumber Agung

Pekonmon

Pardasuka

Rajabasa

Pagar Bukit

Watumaeta

Lelio

Moa

RatuTomua

Sungku

Bobo

SintuwuPandere

- 50 100

Technical constraints

Economic results

Sentimental attachment

Cultural arguments

Cons

Jambi (1)

Lampung

Sulawesi

- 50 100

Technical advantages

Economic results

Sentimental attachment

Cultural arguments

Pros

Jambi (1)

Lampung

Sulawesi

Pros and Cons of agroforests versus monoculture plantations

- 20 40 60 80

Secondary products

High productivity

Low labour requirements

Short immature period

Easy commercialization

Low costs (investment and inputs)

No seasonality, weekly or monthly income generation

Jambi (1)

Lampung

Sulawesi

Merits of a plantation

What will the landscape look like in 20 years?

100 % Traditionalforested system

100 % Intensifiedtraditional crop

100 % Challengingcrop

0102030405060708090

100

Very pleased

Pleased Not pleased

SulawesiLampungJambi (1)

(1) Adapted from Feintrenie et al, 2010 and complementary data from field survey; (2) Adapted from Seeberg-Elverfeldt et al, 2009; (3) Personal communication from Yulia Ramah Fitriana, 2010; (4) Adapted from Kusters, 2009 and complementary data from field survey

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

Return to land of plantations depending on prices at farm gate

(€/ha)

-

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Return to labour of plantations depending on prices at farm gate

(€/manday)

Comparison of land uses profitabilityFor min, max and average prices (2008-2009)

Neither passive, nor victim

• Farmers are active and informed actors of agriculture

expansion and intensification.

• Their decisions are driven by economic opportunities

and local/regional constraints.

• Cultural and sentimental attachments to forest are

weak in comparison with livelihoods needs and

desires.

Relevance to the global forestconservation issue

• Only economic benefits from forest can secure theirconservation by local communities.

• Devolution of forest management to local communities must consider this fact when aiming atforest conservation.

• International funds raised for forest conservation could be used to promote education (grants for rural pupils) in order to fasten the process of agrariantransition.

Thank you for your attention.