Household vulnerability located on land conversion for palm: Case study of pinrang sub-district, wajo district, South Sulawesi

Abstract

The development of oil palm plantations has pushed for massive land-use change in Indonesia. As is the case in Penrang District, Wajo Regency. There is approximately 1,700 ha of agricultural land converted to oil palm plantations of 18,000 ha of land to be developed. The transformation of agricultural land into a palm oil plantation area with a partnership system has an impact on the limitations of the community in managing and accessing land owned by it. Farming activities for both rice and other commodities such as cashew and others and cattle grazing activities cannot be done on agricultural areas that have been planted for oil palm plantation. This condition triggers a shock to the livelihood system of farm households. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the vulnerability process and how communities conduct livelihood strategies to restore economic conditions and household livelihoods. This study used snowball sampling and in-depth interviews in two villages namely Temmabarang Village and Taddangpalie Village, Penrang District. The results of the research indicate that some farmers’ households are vulnerable due to land conversion in the form of work accidents when they become oil palm laborers (shock), decreasing activities to access, process and take yield after conversion of land, and vulnerability due to loss of livelihoods in certain seasons (seasonality). Vulnerability in the form of shock, trend, and seasonality is overcome by two types of strategies, namely survival strategy and consolidation strategy by relying on human capital, social capital, natural capital, and financial capital.