Using Village Funds for Food Security

TANGKAPAN LAYAR VIDEO REKAMAN SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati submitted a report on the allocation of village fund transfers for 2021 at the State Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (25/11/2020).

Presidential Regulation No. 59/2017 on sustainable development refers to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as one of Indonesia’s development guidelines.

The SDGs focus on not only economic growth, but also equal distribution of development outcomes for the entire public as well as promoting environmental sustainability in a country.

One of the priorities in using the village funds, Presidnt Joko Widodo’s flagship program, is to build food security. This can be done in accordance with the characteristics of a village, such as through agriculture, fisheries, and animal husbandry development. This is understandable, given that the economies of 82 percent of villages in the country rely on the agricultural sector.

Also read:

> Managing the Village Mitigating the Pandemic

> Resilience and Recovery in Sitirejo

> Stimulus to Lift the Economy

The question then arises: Can food security and environmental sustainability be achieved? What policies should the government make to encourage using the village funds to achieve them?

The first question can perhaps be answered through the promotion of organic farming. This farming method is environmentally friendly and has higher productivity potentials compared to conventional farming methods.

Organic farming has at least three advantages over conventional farming.

In addition, it also relies on nitrogen-fixing plants (legumes) to maintain nitrogen levels in soils.

The first concerns means of production. Unlike the conventional farming, which relies on synthetic means of production, organic farming uses compost to promote plant growth and takes advantage of crop rotation, natural predators, and plant-based pesticides. In addition, it also relies on nitrogen-fixing plants (legumes) to maintain nitrogen levels in soils.

The excessive use of chemicals in conventional farming can reduce biodiversity on agricultural land and endanger consumers’ health. In this case, organic farming has the potential to maintain biodiversity and provide healthier foods.

The second concerns climate change. The use of organic fertilizers and botanical pesticides, usually made by the farmers themselves, will reduce carbon emissions from the manufacturing process, most of which use fossil fuels. The use of compost and nitrogen-fixing plants as a substitute for chemical fertilizers can also reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas suspected of originating from the intensive use of chemical fertilizers.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Electric cable network financed with village funds in Secang District, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Monday (7/9/2020).

The third concerns water consumption. Organic farming can potentially save more water. Chemical fertilizers are thought to cause the formation of hardpan clay in the soil, which reduces the absorption capacity of soil. As a result, conventional farming usually requires more water. Conventional rice fields also need to be flooded. On the other hand, compost used in organic farming makes the soil more porous. Water easily seeps into the ground and is stored.

Advantages of organic system

How does organic farming play a role in maintaining food security? Can organic farming produce a sufficient supply of food? Is organic farming at least as productive as conventional farming?

Some studies show that organic farming has lower productivity, while other studies show the opposite. However, for rice crops (note: food security in Indonesia is often defined narrowly as having sufficient rice supplies), our research has so far indicated that the decline in productivity of organic rice fields generally occurs in the early years of converting from a conventional to an organic farming system.

Also read:

> The Edelweiss Park of Eternity

> When Dust Is Away, Tourists Will Stay

After passing the critical period of approximately two years, organic rice fields have higher productivity than conventional rice fields. In several districts in West Java, organic rice fields produce up to 8 tons of rice per hectare per harvest season, while a report from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) shows that all rice fields (conventional and organic) in the province produce an average of 5.75 tons/ha per harvest season (2019 BPS data).

Looking at the high potential of organic farming to achieve food security as well as environmental sustainability, farmers should voluntarily apply the organic system. Indonesian Organic Agriculture Statistics, published by the Indonesian Organic Alliance (AOI), showed that organic farming systems in Indonesia in 2018 covered 251,630.98 ha, of which 53,974.19 ha were organic rice fields.

This figure shows an improvement because in the previous year, organic rice farming accounted for only 1,401.3 ha, or 0.013 percent of total rice fields.

Of all rice fields in Indonesia, which totaled 10,677,887.15 ha (bps.go.id), only 0.5 percent used organic farming methods. This figure shows an improvement because in the previous year, organic rice farming accounted for only 1,401.3 ha, or 0.013 percent of total rice fields.

There is a reluctance among farmers to switch from conventional farming to organic farming due to the decline in productivity, especially during the early stages of converting from conventional to organic farming, and the increased workload, for example in individually preparing fertilizers.

Government support is needed here, such as by using the village funds to promote organic farming. This relates to the question about what policies the government can take to encourage use of the village funds for organic agriculture development.

DOK DESA NAYUBAYA

A project financed with village funds from Wotan Ulumado District, East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Monday (11/5/2020).

As a matter of fact, the village funds have been used to develop organic agriculture, such as in financing training on making compost and on obtaining organic certification. However, this has not been included so far in the report on village funds realization. The reason is that there is no “organic farming” budget item in the government guidelines on the use of village funds.

That the village funds have been used to develop organic farming can be found only through an internet search. Therefore, it is necessary to add organic farming as a spending item in the village funds usage guidelines. This is a minimum effort the government can do to promote organic farming practices in the country.

SIWI NUGRAHENI is a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Parahyangan Catholic University.

(This article was Translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).