The benefits of an agrarian reform model in Indonesia

Abstract

Almost Indonesian farmers are small scale farming that its number is continuously increasing. Because of land hunger, some farmers cultivate vacant lands illegally, such as unproductive lands of plantation estates and forest lands. For solving the illegal occupation, the government has applied agrarian reforms consisting of land redistribution and empowering farmer scheme. Study areas consist of 9 selected pilot project locations applied in Java and Sumatra islands. The data of location distributions, area sizes, land backgrounds, asset reforms, and access reforms were compiled and analyzed descriptively. Locations 1 to 7 in Java Island consist of agricultural lands, except location 7 was housing. These land objects were under conflict between occupants and land owners. Location 8 and 9 were in Lampung Province, the case of local farmers’ utilized unproductive state lands. Due to helping poor people, this agrarian model answers the debate between access to land and access to income. Both sides must be combined in scheme of asset reform and access reform. Secondly, agrarian reform solves land conflicts particularly land occupation and increases welfare of landless people. Finally, agrarian reform will be successful if it’s supported with for poor political atmosphere.