The Struggle of Indigenous Peoples and Transmigrants for Food Sovereignty in the New Capital City of Indonesia

Abstract

The relocation of Indonesia's capital from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan has sparked significant concerns regarding food sovereignty among local communities. This paper examines the multifaceted struggles over food and land faced by Indigenous peoples and transmigrants from Java as they navigate the socio-economic and environmental impacts of state-led policies. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with Indigenous Balik and Paser communities, transmigrants from Java, local farmers' organizations, and government representatives, this study highlights the disruption of traditional agricultural practices and the loss of access to land. This study adds to the existing literature on the erosion of food sovereignty in East Kalimantan by using geospatial technology to embed the case study of the New Capital City within broader spatial changes to highlight and visualize the extensive impact of the state-led urbanization process.

More specifically, this study first focuses on the historical changes in food sovereignty among Indigenous Paser and Balik peoples and transmigrants from Java in Sepaku district, adjacent to Nusantara. The Indigenous communities had practiced traditional agriculture for generations in family groups, helping each other—a practice known as Sempolo—in processes of land clearing, planting, and harvesting. They avoid opening new land if food is still available and employ rotational land cultivation, known as Nengkulik, or returning to previously used land, to preserve environmental sustainability. However, state policies have undermined their food sovereignty practices since the late 1960s when another group of farmers, transmigrants from Java, began settling around the 1970s. They cultivated rice by irrigating the land. However, high production costs and labour shortages led younger generations to move to better-paid jobs in palm oil or mining companies. Both groups are now facing extensive infrastructure developments due to the new capital city to the extent that their farms had to be completely abandoned. Farmers also convert their farms to rent them out to developers for housing projects. As a result, a few farmers strive to plant rice despite low productivity and even at a loss, just to preserve their food sovereignty and their identity as farmers.

The case study of these historical changes is complemented by spatial analyses of the area in order to advance the agenda of grassroots movements advocating for the recognition of Indigenous land rights and the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. The spatial analyses, using geographical information systems (GIS), can identify where and how ongoing efforts to preserve farmers' culture and food sovereignty can be supported and enhanced. This paper underscores the need for more inclusive development, advocating for policies that not only recognize but also empower Indigenous and local communities, ensuring their active participation in the planning and implementation of national projects.

Bio

My name is Agung Jauhari, and I am a PhD candidate in International Development Studies at the Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, funded by the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education Agency (LPDP scholarship). My research, titled "Feeding Nusantara: The Complex Pathways of Food Sovereignty in Indonesia's New Capital City," investigates how urbanization influences local communities' access to land resources, food sovereignty, food security, and their engagement in policymaking processes. My approach integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and critical agrarian studies to examine the multifaceted challenges of ensuring food sovereignty amid the ongoing development of Indonesia's new capital.

I earned both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Geography from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia. My bachelor's thesis analyzed the socioeconomic and spatial implications of urban housing expansion on communities in the Mlati Subdistrict, part of the Yogyakarta Urban Area. My master's research evaluated the spatial and regulatory dimensions of housing development licensing in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, supported by a scholarship from Indonesia's Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

I worked as a research assistant at the Regional Development Laboratory, Faculty of Geography, UGM (2011–2016), supporting practical courses and research projects. Since 2018, I've served as a junior lecturer at Vocational College, UGM and I actively teach, conduct applied research, and collaborate with local communities on community development initiatives. My expertise includes regional development planning, GIS, remote sensing, and cartography.