Initiating Model of Agricultural Development Based on Local Wisdom: The Case of Risk Mitigation of Organic Rice Farming in Indonesia

Abstract

Agricultural development in Indonesia still depends on ideas and practices taken from outside or international agency. By the less successful integrated pest management in Indonesia encouraged by FAO, and the imperfection of organic rice farming (ORF) is still one stretch and has the same water flow with the conventional farming, it could be probably contaminated by chemical residue, and therefore, the agricultural development based on local wisdom can be a valuable alternative. Pleasantly, Indonesia is rich with farming local wisdom, and the research about this local practice is frequently conducted. But, unfortunately, this research is merely to describe it case by case in local context and does not yet become a systematic planning for agricultural development. Therefore, the aim of this research is not only to explore farmer local wisdom in mitigating risk of organic rice farming especially in pre-planting period, but to formulate the items of this mitigation into a planning which could gradually be implemented as the first & second priority, the items that have been completely implemented, and as the aspects of mitigation which are not important to develop. By in-depth interview with the prominent farmer, this research finds five items of local wisdom to mitigate the risk of organic rice farming, in which part of them are making a filter tub upstream into organic rice fields, topped with water hyacinth (eceng gondok); providing rice seeds by themselves; and the seed to be planted should come from organic seedbeds. Adopting the Importance Performance Analysis to the 109 samples in Tasikmalaya, West java -- which the sample size is determined by Slovin formula with below 7% of error probability and adopts stratified proportional random sampling -- this research which proves eceng gondok planting in the upstream is one of the local wisdom that is usually practiced to mitigate ORF, and it should be maintained. Another action that should be maintained is the awareness that the seeds should come from organic seedbeds. While, the agreement that farmer group association should provide rice seeds themselves is one of local wisdom that should be prioritized in agricultural extension. Based on this research, the model of agricultural development could be on the basis of local practices, and it could be implemented in Indonesia as well as in other countries that have local wisdom.