Rural Transformation in Various Ecosystem in Indonesia

The agricultural and rural sectors in Indonesia have experienced a dynamic transformation. This process of transformation reflected the changes in employment and income structure. This paper analyzes the changes in employment, income structures, and dietary patterns in various ecosystems, namely wetland paddy, dry land secondary, vegetables, and plantation. We use micro panel data collected from 1,155 rural households in 8 provinces, and 33 villages in Java and off-Java in 2007-2012 and 2016 -2018. The results showed that the share of agriculture employment decreased from 89.1 % in 2007 to 56.7 % in 2016 in the wetland paddy ecosystem, and the reverse was true for non-agricultural employment. Household income from agriculture was still dominant but showed a decreasing trend. The share of agriculture income declined; the most significant decline is in the wetland paddy ecosystem. Furthermore, a nonfarm income also tends to increase. Share of cereal consumption expenditure tends to decrease while processed foods and instant drinks tend to grow. For accelerating agricultural and rural transformation, government policy should focus on investment in rural infrastructure, promote labor and land markets, and build capacity building based on the need for a different ecosystem of the rural population.

Rice-fish farming systems - the case of CARE Bangladesh Rice-Fish Programme.

Integrated pest management (IPM) and cultivation of fish in rice fields are two interrelated methods of increasing the productivity and profitability of rice farming. CARE-Bangladesh's approach to IPM is based on understanding the whole rice paddy ecosystem. By adopting rice-fish production, farmers are provided with the opportunity to use an existing resource to significantly enhance income and food; in addition, adding value to the rice field through integration of fish acts as an incentive to reduce pesticide use. The rice-fish cultivation practice in all three seasons followed improved extensive methods and allowed wild indigenous species to be reared with stocked species. Community rice-fish cultivation in particular is a promising farming approach to address certain potential limiting factors challenging rice-fish farming expansion by individual households. IPM and fish culture in rice fields and wild fish conservation in rice-fish systems are important approaches of the CARE facilitated rice-fish farming expansion process.