Perspectives of indigenous communities on food security: understanding local values in agricultural practice

Abstract

Kasepuhan Urug and Ciptagelar are indigenous communities consistently keep their heredity principles in maintaining food security applied in agricultural practices and daily life. This paper aims to explore the existence of local values in addressing their food security. By applying qualitative research method, data and information were collected from interviews and field observations. The results show that communities have local values as their social capital. These values are reflected in their agricultural practices, especially paddy cultivation as their staple food. Paddy is believed to be the embodiment of Goddess Sri as the manifestation of the source of life. Thus, they preserve their principle as a common belief to strengthen resiliency in food consumption. This result implies that a positive local value must be protected for generations and government support is needed to keep the local value with an appropriate program maintaining food security in harmony with local values.