Umo English Final

7/29/2019 Umo English Final

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From Talang to Payo, From forest to rice fields, from timber to rice

Umo is LifeA research conducted by farmers based on the knowledge and experience of farmers

in Batin XXIV Sub-district, Batanghari District, Jambi Province

Datuk Nur Ibrahim, M. Basit, A. Rahman, Mahdalena, Asbiruddin, Sanusi, Ida, Wartini, Aisyah,

Yasnar, Butomi, Hafizi, Mahfuz.


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Contents

Preface...................................................................................................................................... 3Research Objective................................................................................................................. 4Research Methode.................................................................................................................. 5

Expected Outcome................................................................................................................ 5Land management, traditional wisdom and production patternsin the research sites................................................................................................................ 6

The Umo system and its values.......................................10Umo: the castle for family food security and nutritionUmo; economic resources for familiesUmo as a space for social interactionUmo and women

Umo: a sustainability-based spatial model

The changing context of umo...........................................19Umo among oil palm, timber plantations and government programsPractising umo on oil palm plantation or growing oil palms on umos?

Conclusion..............................................................................................................................24Recomendations....................................................................................................................24

Closing....................................................................................................................................24


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Preface

Exploitation of natural resources for the benefit of regional revenue, implemented inthe model of large-scale plantations, mining and forest plantation industries,continues unabated. After stripping forests, agricultural lands, particularly irrigatedfarms, become the next target. A recently, example of this was towards the end of2012, where a palm oil plantation company obtained a location permit from theRegent of Batanghari covering 7,800 ha. The permit was issued when Indonesia was

imposing moratorium on new permits for palm oil concessions in forests andpeatland1. While the new permit for PT ICA is not granted on peatland or naturalforests, it endangers the people by covering the same areas where thousand offarmers source their livelihood:rice fields and swamps that supply water to somevillages in Mersam Sub-district (kecamatan). Besides the district of Mersam, theregent also issued a permit to PT Damasraya Palma Sejahtera for a 5,000-hectareconcession in the sub-districts of Batin XXIV and Tembesi that lies exactly on bothproductive rice fields belonging to the villages' people and areas potential forirrigated farming in the two districts.What an irony! The very regent of Batanghari District (kabupaten) who is known to be

keen in campaigning for food self-sufficiency in the district, was the one who directlymortgaged the landsto big oil palm companies. Not only are the sources of food cropsmortgaged but the knowledge and the wisdom of farmers in managing their land are

1Moratorium on new permits for new oil palm concessions is stipulated in the Presidential Instruction (Instruction) No. 10

of 2011. The instruction, in effect since May 20, 2011, stipulates that the implementation of a moratorium on the licensing

of natural forests and peatlands for palm oil plantations is effective as for the next two years.


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also replaced with an exploitative monoculture agricultural model. With suchpressure and limited information, the throng of food crop farmers has abandonedtheir traditional agricultural practices in favour of the modern agricultural model.They have cultivated the idea that they will enjoy a more prosperous life in the futurethrough the modern oil palm plantation model.

This situation drove the farmers in Karmeo village in Batin,Batanghari District, alongwith a team of Yayasan SETARA, to carry out a joint research and documentation of atraditional agriculture model called umo. This model has been much ignored by thegovernment in favour of legalized land use change by way of location permits andHGU (concession) permits. At the same time, farmers have abandoned this practicein pursuit of the modern agricultural model that is purported to lift them out ofpoverty. The research and documentation process aimed to rediscover not only theeconomic value but also of the social, cultural and environmental significance of theumo practice in pursuing a more sustainable, locally-controlled agricultural

development.

Research ObjectivesThe objectives of the research are as follows:

1. To observe how land management model has been developed by food cropfarmers in the sub-district of Batin XXIV.

2. To observe the relationship between traditional agriculture as a landmanagement and agricultural production model to support the environmentalbalance, sustainable livelihoods, food security, with land management as thesocial and culture bond in the study areas.

3. To see quick comparisons regarding any benefits provided by the oil palmplantation model and a traditional agricultural model called Umo.

4. To promote Umo agricultural model as a todays model of agriculture, which ismeant not only as an economic resource for the family, but also as a bastion offood security and of food sovereignty, and to make Umo a spatial use modelthat takes environmental balance and sustainability into consideration.

5. To produce documentation for JARITANGAN2 (Jaringan Petani Pangan) inSumatra, and as an advocacy tool for JARINTANGAN Sumatra and someNGOs involved in JARITANGAN Sumatra activities.

6. For the results of this research to serve as an useful guidance for policy

changes and improvement particularly in Sumatra and Jambi provinces,especially policies relating to land use and management.7. To promote researches that are based on knowledge and experience of farmers

in Sumatra.

2 JARITANGAN Sumatera is a food crop farmer's network Sumatera, declared on 16 October 2012 in Bukit Tinggi.


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Research methodsThe joint research was a result of the growing concerns of food crop farmers, who aremembers of JARITANGAN Sumatra, especially those in Batin XXIV sub-district whoare fighting against the expansion of large scale oil palm plantations. This research

was based on farmers' knowledge and experiencecarried out through in-depthfocused group discussion discussions and village meetings. The village meetingswere intended to crosscheck the information described by the researchers, and toconsolidate the data and information gathered.

"We are very impressed with the research conducted in West Sumatra, which compared theeconomic values of all commodities. Based on the results of that research, we understand thatoil palm is not a hope, because it is not economically profitable, and we also want ouragricultural model, Umo, to be known by others, especially farmers like us, who are onlyinformed about oil palm and its profits. We want people to know that Umo is a traditional

agricultural model, which is not out of date and which possesses relevant values applicablenowadays, i.e. social, environmental, and economic ones." Rafiq, a researcher and memberof the BPD in the village of Hajran.

Expected outcomes1. In-depth understanding of land management models developed by farmers,

primarily of agriculture models and production patterns, to address issues oneconomic sustainability, food security, and environmental balance.

2. An alternative agricultural model for today's agriculture a management ofland adopting diverse and rotational traditional agricultural systems servingas an antithesis of the monoculture and exploitative large-scale oil palmplantations.

3. As documentation for food crop farmers in Sumatra, and as a tool to advocateagainst expansion of destructive oil palm plantations.

4. As recommendations to the policy makers, so that the expansion of oil palmplantations are no longer applied in crucial areas like people's food cropsfarms and management areas, as well as ecologically critical areas such as hillyand mountainous areas.

5. A learning foundation for food crop farmers who are currently preparing toleave traditional farming, and are switching to monoculture modernagriculture.


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Land management, traditional wisdom and productionpatterns in the research sites

Batin XXIV Sub-district is one of the sub-districts that make up Batanghari District.The sub-district, established in 1991 (PP. 60 1991), covers an area of 898,130 km2 or

89,813 ha consisting of 14 villages and 2 kelurahan with a population of 25,131 in6,563 households, about 2,520 out of which are farmers who depend on localagriculture of rice paddy, rubber, vegetables, and fruits.

Administratively, the sub-district of Batin XXIV borders on:

The sub-district of Mersam in the north

The sub-district of Mandiangin in the south

The sub-district of Muara Tembesi in the west

The sub-district of Muara Bulian in the east

The sub-district is strategic in terms of territories and landscapes. It is situated onlyabout 110 km from Jambi, and has flat and hilly landscapes on the other side. Thesemake Batin XXIV a target for entrepreneurs from Jambi. Not only its landscape, itsnatural resource potential is also unique. Some of its villages, like Olak Besar, Jelutih,and Hajrah, are the buffering villages of Bukit 12 National Park.


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In addition to its uniquelandscape, since it borders onwith the National Park, theother interesting thing is thewisdom of the community in

managing the land, which islocally called Umo.3 Until now,though slowly fading due topressure of modern agriculturewith monoculture models, theUmo system is still developednot only by the people residingin Batin XXIV, but also bysome of the sub-districts inother districts such as Kerinci,

Bangko, Sarolangun, Bungo, Batanghari, Muara Jambi, including by some villages inTanjabar and Tanjabtin districts.

Umo, according to the people in the sub-district of Batin XXIV, is divided into three

kinds based on the region and landscape, namely:

1. Umo Renah is lowlands used as a field to grow rice and other crops. Umo Renah isset up in the inner village/residential area, or along the village riverbanks.

2. Umo Kasang / Umo Talang is a plateau used as a field to grow rice and othercrops. It is located in the village area or away from the village/residential area,

ranging from 2 to 50 km away from the village/residential area. Being far fromthe village, people build simple huts/shelters for use during the Umo practice.That is why this kind of Umo is often called Umo Talang or Umo Rimbo as it liesdeep in the forest.

3. Umo Payo is a wet or watery lowland used to grow rice and short-livedvegetables like kale, and to raise ducks, generally after the harvest times. Thefarmers let the duck roam freely in this lowland, which now called sawah(irrigated rice field).

So, the Umo is understood as various agricultural systems, and the kinds of based onwhere they are practiced. If the Umo is implemented in the forest, then it goes to thecategory of Umo Talang or Umo Kasang, whose species tend to be forest plants such aswood, forest fruits, forest rubber wood. Where rice is grown, the species is usuallynon-irrigated rice.

3 The Umo, according to some farmers, is a mixed-garden practice. In a broader context, the Umo is diversity in various

landscapes, commodities grown, and benefits it provides.


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Umo sketch in the Sub-district of Batin XXIV

Umo (Be-Umo4) is a traditional agricultural management hereditarily developed bypeople in Jambi, and is known among most Malay ethnics living in some districts ofJambi Province. Tradition of be-Umo has been developed using simple tools likemachetes, ani-ani (a tool to harvest rice), and other traditional tools. Similarly, when

opening a new Umo, it is started from clearing the area using simple tools likemachetes (to cut down small trees) and beliung5 (to cut down large trees). The lengthof time needed to set up an Umo depends on the extent of the Umo itself and the sizeof the timber in the would-be Umo. A one-meter diameter tree takes 1-10 days to fell.After the trees are felled, the area is burned, which is called by some of the localpeople as manggang ormerun. The burning of the area is done with a purpose. Itis a natural and traditional fertilization method, done in rotation and considering thewind direction and the weather. After the burning is done, rice is planted in a waycalled tanjak6 for Umo kasang, and nandur7 for Umo renah.

Almost all the agricultural processes of be-Umo are done in groups, starting fromopening the land, planting, harvesting, until post-harvest management. Beselang and

4 The Malay of Jambi are the native ethnic group living dispersedly in all the districts of Jambi Province. The total

population is estimated to be 1,170,000.

5 A small axe, tied to a piece of stick ofbulian tree

6 Tanjakis planting rice without raising seedlings in advance. It is commonly called Nugal

7 Nanduris planting rice after raising the seedlings


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pelarian8 are two collaborative traditions known in the be-Umo.

Umo evolves and changes as rubber cultivation9 develops. In the sub-district of BatinXIV be-Umo activities (especially Umo Kasang which is far from residential areas)involve not only developing crops suitable with the contour and the type of Umo soil,

but also planting rubber10 as their annual plantation.

As a tradition, Umo is a model of sustainable agriculture harmonizing the carryingcapacity of a given landscape. The Umo is a farming model that harmonizes thediversity of nutrition, incomes, and knowledge, and it is a farming model that takesinto account all aspects, i.e. social, economic and environmental aspects. Surprisingly,the Umo is a traditional agricultural practice that can serve as the answer to the

emerging economic, social and environmental problems.

8 Pelarian and beselang will be further elaborated in the next section

9 Rubber started to be cultivated by Jambi since the beginning of 20th century, when the Colonial Dutch was ruling Jambi.

Rubber was a prime commodity then and the Dutch distributed rubber seeds to the communities to be planted. The era

was called the coupon era as the rubber production was arranged using coupons. See Elsbeth Locher-Scholten's

Kesultanan Sumatera dan Negara Kolonial

10 The kind of rubber planted in the Dutch time was forest rubber (also called 'natural rubber') and is still developed today.


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The Umo system and its values

Umo: the castle for family food security and nutrition The Umo system, with all its diverse commodities planted, is capable of producing a

variety of food for households. And even in the past, it was also able to providevarious types of wood materials to meet the need of building material forhouseholds. Umos ability to meet all the food needs proves that the traditionalfarming system is invaluable in terms of money. The availability of various foodcrops provided by the Umo does not make the farmers afraid of starvation.

"Any kinds of food that we need are available in Umos, even fuelwood for cooking. What wedont have in Umos are salt, sugar, and clothes. herbs and oil can all be processed from Umoproducts. Umos are very important to us, because in Umos everything is available and we are


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not afraid of starvation." This was said by Pak Basit, one of the farmers who is stillmaintaining Umo.

Not only carbohydrates such as rice and tubers, but also animal protein from poultryand fish are also available in Umos. As said in the proverb quoted by Datuk NurIbrahim the chairman of the indigenous people of Batin XXIV, "Young grass, fatbuffalo; go to a river, nets become full of fish; chickens in the cages lay eggs; going to thekitchen, rice is cooked; going to the bedroom, the wife delivers a baby." This proverbillustrates the availability of all the necessary food in Umos.

Jan-Feb:high tide

installingfishnets

(pukat) in theriver

Mar-Apr: lowtide

cultivatingseedlings,

planting rice

May-June:

Plantingvegetables ontheembankments,weeding andfishing

July-August:harvesting rice and

vegetables

Sep-Oct:harvesting rice,

dukus and durians(making

tempoyak)

Nov (beginningof the rainy

season):harvesting

pumpkins, andlong beans

Dec (therainy season)

:

harvestingrambutans,

rambai and jmbuThe seasoncalendarsketch in thetraditionalagriculturalpatterns ofthe Umo

Renah andUmo Payo


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"We have never bought rice, and the rice we have now is from Umo Talang or Umo Payo(irrigated rice fields). We have a word called belubur11 that we have long used, whichmeans 'rice harvest from the previous year which we keep in a barn'. Belubur can also meanthe barn itself. Sometimes the rice that we harvested the previous year is not used up and ismixed with the rice that we have just harvested. Our reserve of rice is always in the form of

paddy to anticipate harvest failure. In the past, every house had belubur, but now only somedo, said Datuk Nur Ibrahim.

In the discussions conducted with farmers in Karmeo Village, we found out that thepresence of belubur in the past was meant to ensure availability of rice reserve forevery household, and that the disappearance of beluburat present is due to the factthat rice is easy to get. Some farmers even claim that belubur has moved to themarkets. So, if farmers do not plant rice or harvest fails, they can buy rice in themarkets.

In Karmeo Village today, although the role of Beluburhas been replaced by that of themarket, there are still many farmers who maintain Belubur in a simpler way. Forexample, they still grow and store rice, with the proportion that the rice planted orharvested is ample to meet the need until the next planting season.

The Payo or rice fields or swamps where rice is grown not only are able to producerice, but also become ponds, where the people fish, when harvest time is over. Andthis happens until the next planting season, and happens continually. Such ponds areused not only for fishing, but also for raising ducks. Ducks would enjoy the unhulledrice scattered on the ground as their delicious meal. For three months ahead theducks will lay eggs. Meanwhile, the farmers possessing Umo Talang (the fields faraway from home)will raise chickens nearby and cows near the residence.

In addition to vegetables, herbs are also grown in Umos. Usually, herbs are grownaround the houses. This is done by the women, who are also in charge of growingvegetables and harvesting the rice. The herbs grown are lemongrass, galangal,ginger, turmeric andgando12. In Umos we can also find fruits such as rambutan, duku,rose apple, guava, and durian. Although the fruits are not the kinds commonly foundin the markets, they at least can fulfill the nutrients need of the family.

11Beluburis a rice barn, or a building specifically built to store rice

12 Gando is a herb used to replace red onions


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Umo; economic resources for familiesAs a mixed farming system, umos provide not only food but also economic

commodities such as rubber. And rubber has long become a sustainable economicresource for the households there. "In our tradition, we dont sell our rice, vegetables, andfruits. If we have excessive or abundant harvest, we share it with our neighbors and relatives.Nevertheless, we sell the sap of rubber or latex of Jelutung wood, or wood for cooking, and usethe money for our kids, forschool, clothes and other needs not available in umos. And

now in addition to rubber, we have also begun to plant oil palm in our umos, but 10trees at the most", said Pak Basit, who still maintains the tradition of Umo until today.

Foods from

Umo


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Based on the calculation by Pak Basit, who practices Umo on his 2 hectares of rubberplantation, he has harvested about 1,000 stems of natural rubber plants or forestrubber plants, resulting in approximately 800 kg of rubber sap/month. This meansthat in 20 days of harvest,13 he can gain 40 kg/day. He will sell the harvest once inevery 10 days, with the total sales of approximately 400 kg/day. At IDR10,000 per

kg,14 then every 10 days, he will earn up to IDR4,000,000. It means that in 1 month,with 2 sales, he will earn as much as IDR8,000,000, and the income, according toBasit, is used for the school fees of his 3 children (the first-born child currentlyattends the junior high school), the electricity bill, installments (motorcycle), andsome savings.

According to some other farmers, who are also involved in our discussions, currentlyfarmers can gain income from umos by selling vegetables, durians (Kingfruits), dukuand rambutan if they are in season in addition to rice, as long as all the needs arealready fulfilled. In conclusion, umos can provide both healthy food and income for

households. According to some farmers, the income generated by oil palms will notnecessarily dazzle them if they can sell umos products at good prices and steadily.

Umo as a space for social interactionThe Be-Umo tradition is inseparable from the social life in Batin XXIV sub-district. Inaddition to the commodities produced, the umo tradition embraces socio-cultural

values and cannot be assessed with money. The tradition of exchanging food or foodproducts from umos, and the tradition of sharing the products (food) with familieswho do not have umos are some examples of the values. Opening Umo and doingother activities during the harvest also bear a mutual cooperation value.

13 Rubber harvest is dependent of the weather. In rainy days, no harvest is done. 20 days is the minimum period of harvest

time.

14 The price at the time of the study


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Mutual cooperation values are shown in some models of agricultural activities inUmo, namely Beselang (together) and Pelarian (alternately):1. Beselang15 a form of mutual cooperation in the form of doing agricultural

activities together, for example, in which one family invites others, young or old,

to help grow rice on a predetermined day.16 On that day the people will come tothe Umo and lend a hand. The host will prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks. IfUmo is done in Talang (Umo Kasang which is located outside the village), thepeople leave for the talang in the afternoon before the berselang day.17 The foodneeded for the people will be provided by the family/host.

2. Pelarian a form of mutual cooperation which is done by way of helping othersin agriculture such as planting rice and harvesting rice alternately. Thedifference is that in the beselang it is done together and not alternately, andaccording to the needs or demands of the people who ask for help. Anyone whoasks for help with beselang notifies people who will voluntarily come to help.

Pelarian is done only by some people (5 10). These people will do the activitiescooperatively in Umos or in the farm in turns, and the length of the work perioddepends on the agreement. For example, if they agree on a two-day activity, theywill each be helped in turns in two days. Provision of food for the peopleinvolved in pelarian will also be based on agreement. Generally, each of thepeople will bring their own lunch boxes, and when it is time for meals, they willshare or even exchange the food.The culture of working cooperatively/together with beselang and pelarian applies

not only to family members or among relatives or friends, but also to those livingin the same village or even those from outside the village if the people would use

the same farming land and they know one another. Beselang is not only done forrice but also for other commodities like rubber."In beselang what is important is that we help one another. Each of us used to have 2hectares of field and we worked on the fields cooperatively. The work became less heavybecause everybody worked hand in hand enthusiastically. When it was time for plantingor harvesting during beselang, the number of people who participated could be more than

a hundred, said Pak Bustoni from Karmeo Village."In fact, not infrequently farmers here come to participate in the baselang in anotherkampong. We used to go baselang as far as Mersam Village. When notified that there isbeselang in another village or kampong, we, especially young men and women, flock thereby bicycles. Young men who can demonstrate a good skill of reciting poems will get

many cloths from girls who love or like the men. It is very often that the beselangtradition serves as a place or event for seeking mates for young people, Pak Basit added.

15 Planting rice together

16 Usually, young men/women pass the information on the day to their fellows and so do the older ones

17 In the evening prior to the beselang day, all the people taking part in the activity do not sleep until dawn. They spend the

night exchanging poems. Very often, the time is used by young people to seek mates


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3. Basokat a social interaction in which people come for paying zakat or tithe in theform of rice produced from Umos. In a community whose members are generallyMoslems, religious information is also shared and gives a considerable influenceon the development of cultural kinship in Batin XXIV sub-district. Hence,honesty and concern for one another are implemented in the basokat, in which

everybody submits 10 % of the total rice obtained.18 The tithe collected will behanded to underprivileged people.

4. Exchanging seeds with other people is also a social interaction which embraces amutual cooperation value. Exchanging seeds, all kinds of the existing rice seeds,is carried out voluntarily among all the people Seeds of all kinds and othernecessary goods are also exchanged. It is possible that the seeds having beengiven will be replaced with new seeds after the harvest. The seed exchanging ismeant so that nobody can monopolize one type of seeds or that seed diversity ismaintained. Hence, during food or meal exchange, big or small, nutrientsexchange also takes place automatically.

A lot of social values are embodied in the traditional agricultural model of Umo notonly during Umo activities, but also during the opening of Umo. Cooperation is doneso that all the people can have equal chance to possess Umos of the same size

(monopoly is then avoided). Nevertheless, some farmers have begun to abandonthis tradition. They prefer working for plantation companies to working in theirown Umos, so that many Umos are neglected or even have been converted into oilpalm plantations belonging to companies.

Umo and women

Umo specifically has an attachment with women, like the bond between a mother anda child. The bond is getting stronger when Umo contains rice, either non-irrigated riceor payo (irrigated rice). For example, towards the stage in which the grains begin toform, in the afternoon the mothers or women always make fireplace or bonfire in theembankments to show the plants in the Umo, especially the rice, that the Umoowners are with them (the rice). And, when the mothers or women are about toleave for home, they tie the leaves of two adjacent sticks while saying "remain thereand tomorrow I will come back. The saying, which shows gratitude and hope sothat the grains will remain there until the harvest time comes, also demonstrates theirlove to the plants in the Umo, like the bond between a mother and a child.

In Umos, the role of women is more visible, especially in Umos where food crops areplanted (e.g. vegetables, rice, fruits and herbs). The women are indeed in power in

18 The measuring device used is called gantang, 1 gantang of rice equals 3 Kg of rice. If the harvest is 400 gantangs, the

tithe is 40 gantangs, and this is an obligation that is well understood by the community and is well maintained although

regulations on the collecting and distribution are nonexistent. Each member of the community is voluntarily willing to pay

the zakatand distribute it to the poor, the elders, widows, orphans and those not having umos.


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this field, from the planting, maintaining, and cooking. Umos to women is like a roomfor them to be creative in fulfilling various food necessities and in providing variousnutrients for their family members. Without Umo, the chance to be creative will begone, because all the food and nutrient diversity starts from Umo. Currently,although the role of Umo has been largely replaced by the markets, the fulfillment of

various nutrients depends on the availability of cash in hand. On the other hand,without Umo, a woman will be like a mother with no child.

Below are the depicted roles of women in the Umo system:1. Growing rice, preparing the fields, seeding, weeding, harvesting, post-harvest

management (drying, grinding rice, pounding the grains to get the rice andpreparing the storage).

2. Being responsible for breeding, particularly using local seeds3. Planting fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs4. Farming rubber trees. With the involvement of men, women prepare the land,

plant seeds, weed, harvest, and even transport the harvest to the storage5. Maintaining and developing food crops in the forest (mangosteen, rambai,

kingfruit leaves, tampui, buah jentik ikan, petai, jengkol, Kabau, cempedak,chestnut, nutrition sago, langgui / Rimbang, gelimbing/winged bean, herbs abay leaf, kandis acid, acid and acid Glugur siriang-exuberant).

6. Taking care of livestock (not just chickens, ducks, but also goats and buffaloesor cows),

7. Fishing in rice fields and in the rivers.8. Processing food for the families.


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Looking at the descriptions above, we can see that women has more space in thepractice of Umo. Maybe we can say that Umo is women's space. Imagine now, ifUmos are replaced with oil palm plantations, how many women will lose this space,

and how many children will suffer from lack of nutrients needed for their growth.

Umo: a sustainability-based spatial modelSeeing the landscape/stretch of Umo, we can spot harmonization of land use properland use plans which considers the land's carrying capacity and suitability. Forexample, when Umo Payo is planted with irrigated rice only once in a year, it is meantthat the farmers are wise enough to give space to other creatures like fish andlivestock. They even give the chance to the soil to breathe again. Similarly, in Umokasang or Umo Talang, the planted crops are perennials such as rubber, wood andfruits. And if rice is planted in Umo Talang, it is non-irrigated rice.

In addition to the variety of planting patterns, which are related to the diversity ofthe landscape, there are also traditional patterns which farmers use as a form ofrespect for the nature, namely:1. When deciding on a land to cultivate, farmers will check whether there is bungor

wood.19 If so, then the soil is moist and suitable for planting rice.2. In pest control, farmers use Tubo Seluang (wood root) which is dried and then

burned, the ash of which is poured around the cucumber trees or rice trees.3. Burning beeswax (Honeycomb) to repel walang sangit20 that usually attack rice

trees.4. Determination of the planting season by referring to a row of three stars usually

visible during the lunar eclipse. If the first star is brighter than the others, theplanting is done earlier; if the second star is brighter than the others, the plantingis done in the middle of the planting season, but if the third star is the brightest, itis advised that the planting be done at the end of the planting season.

If the landscape has been transformed into oil palm plantations, will these wisdompatterns still exist? And when Umos have been replaced with monoculture oil palmplantations, will the balance of nature still be maintained?

19 A kind of timber tree that grows in water-rich soil. The presence of such trees indicates that the soil is fertile enough for

rice.

20A kind of rice pests


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The changing context of umo

Umo today may not be as uniform and large as it once was practiced. Limitedavailability of land has driven umo farmers to maximise the use of their agriculturalland. It is not surprising to see umos are planted with superior rubber and withfruits or oil palm, not with natural rubber and rice as in the past. Rice is still grown

but only in payo and swamps and the species planted is the one usually plantedtwice a year to maximise the use of the rice fields. The obvious impact is theunavoidable use of pesticide.

The declining soil fertility and water availability as well as the increasing pest attackas a result of oil palm development in Karmeo Village are other problems that reducethe commodity diversity of Umo in the village. Water pollution resulting from theuse of dangerous pesticide by the plantation industry has led to the decliningavailability of animal protein (fish from the rivers).

Nowadays, umo farmers are left with not many choices with so many bad factspressuring umo existence and the commodity variety it produces. Umo land has beenincreasingly shrinking and is waiting to be extinct from the agricultural model andsystem in Batin XXIV Sub-district.


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Umo among oil palm, timber plantations and government programsEver since the operation of the companies in our village, we can no longer set up umos. It issaid that the forests must not be cleared as they belong to the state. What we can do is tocontinue working the existing umos. However, it's getting more and more difficult to practiceumo as we are not allowed to burn land. It is said that if we burn land, we will be arrested. In

fact, land burning is our traditional practice in the umo system. No burning means no beumo.So, it is not we don't want to practice umo anymore but there are so many regulationsrestricting the practice, said Pak Mahfus from a neighboring village of Karmeo.

Some farmers in several villages in Batin XXIV Sub-district have left the umo systemand turned into oil palm growers due to the restriction on land burning, the decliningwater availability and increasing pest attack. The umo system has been disappearing.From 1995 to 2012, 8 oil palm companies were operating in the sub-district, takingcontrol of 47,360 hectares of land (some 52%) out of the total sub-district area (89,813Ha). The amount of water used for the millions of oil palm trees and the extent ofpest attack are beyond imagination.

The presence of the companies has altered not only land functions but also the localworking pattern and culture. Many of the farmers have become the companies'casual worker with daily pay21 of IDR41,000-45,000 and work hours from 7 in themorning until 3 in the afternoon. Such a change can be clearly seen from thedecreasing number of farmers managing their land, notably the rice fields in BatinXXIV Sub-district. Just imagine that the years 2008-2010 saw a decline in the food

21 The pay is for casual workers, who raise seeds, fertilize, clean dishes and spray pesticide.

Vegetables grow well

after the burning


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crop lands. In 2008, for example, the Sub-district had only 394 Ha (30.2%) out of thetotal 1,301 Ha of rice fields. In 2010 until now only 81 Ha have been existent. Of therest, some 30% have been converted into oil palm plantations and the remaining 70%is left idle as farmers are inclined to become casual workers in the companies ratherthan managing their own lands.

In addition to the pressure of modern agriculture (oil palm estates), conversion onforestland into timber plantations has adversely affected the soil fertility and wateravailability in areas allocated by farmers to be irrigated rice farms. W hat we do seemsall wrong, wanting to plant rice and vegetables, we have no water, all absorbed by the oil palmand acacia plantations. Wanting to plant oil palm, we have limited land. Even if we grow oilpalms, the harvest would just be enough to buy cheap rice while in fact we have been enjoyinggood quality rice. The harvest is not enough for us to buy good quality rice. I only have 1-hectare of oil palm plantation. The oil palm price has never been better. In fact, it is the prices

of rice and other basic needs that keep increasing. The above was said by a farmer whonow regrets his decision to turn to oil palm but has no other choices.

There are so many problems for small farmers like us. We can no longer practice umo due tothe presence of the companies. And many are unwilling to practice umo due to government'sprograms. For example, since the government introduced the cheap rice program (Raskin22) in

22 Raskin is an abbreviation of 'cheap rice'. Raskin is the government program to provide cheap rice for the poor.

An important note from a household in Hajran Village

A household of 1 husband, 1 wife and 2 children. The husband and wife work as casual workers at an oil palm

company with daily pay of IDR45,000 for each. Both earn IDR90,000 per day. As casual workers, they do not

work every day and sometimed they work only if the company needs some labor for fertilizing, nursing and

spraying. When the work is done, casual workers have no more work to do except when the company needs

such labour next year.

For daily meals, they need:

Rice 1 kg/day : IDR6,500/kg (this is bad quality rice)Fish/meat 0.5 Kg/day : average price of fish IDR15,000/kg (river fish)

Vegetable 2 bundles/day : IDR1,000/bundle

Chili pepper 100 gr/day : IDR5,000/100 gr

Herbs : IDR3,000/day

Cooking oil 0.25 lt/day : IDR3,000

Sugar, salt, tea, coffee : IDR3,000

Electricity : IDR5,000 (assuming the monthly bill is IDR150,000)

Gas for cooking : IDR2,000 (assuming the montly use is IDR60,000)

School fee (1 child) : IDR10,000 (this has already included the school fee anddaily pocket moneyof IDR2,000)

In total, the family needs to allocate IDR53,500 per day.


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our village, many of the farmers no longer want to practice umo as they can get cheap rice.Imagine, the cheap rice is only IDR2,000/kg. Since then, rice fields have been abandoned andsome have even been sold to companies and some rice farmers grow oil palm on their rice fieldsinstead. said Datuk Ibrahim.

Since the cheap rice program, many of the rice farmers have been enjoying getting cheap riceso that they think it unnecessary to manage their rice fields. In fact, the rice from thegovernment will not even last a month. In the future, the distribution of the cheap rice to ricefarmers should be terminated. Distributing cheap rice to rice farmers is like telling them not togrow rice anymore, said Hj Sumardiyanti.23

Practising umo on oil palm plantation or growing oil palms on umos?Previously, we will definitely think that oil palm companies have interests only intaking control of forests as the economic value of the timber is more than enough tofinance large-scale oil palm plantations and it would be impossible for such

companies to be interested to plant oil palms on people's and farmers' managementlands. Such a thought proves to be entirely wrong. It is only recently that largecompanies have started to fight each other to obtain farmers' lands. They adoptsvarious means to force the farmers to sell their lands or to force them to sign apartnership scheme with the companies. All kinds of Umo Umo Talang/Umokasang, Umo Renah, and even Umo Payo are now targeted by the industry. Umosand their owner farmers have to fight alone. The government, which was expected toprotect umo as a traditional agricultural system, has failed to fulfil the expectation.Nowadays, modern agriculture is preying on farmers' sources of livelihood.

If possible, we expect that farmers would think a thousand times before selling their lands tocompanies. Selling theirs means selling their lives. Farmers also have to think a thousandtimes before deciding to grow oil palms. Oil palms are good only for 35 years. After that, theland is useless. So if there is still a chance to plant any hardwood species, as water has becomescarce, they should grow rubber. At least, the farmers can keep the harvest when the price islow. Besides, rubber does not harm the soil, said Pak Daraman, an oil palm farmer.

Relying on oil palm only will not suffice as the cost is high. My wife has to growvegetables in the yard and I have to get another job (e.g. becoming a teacher) as theprofit from oil palm is not enough to make ends meet. 40% of the profit goes back tothe harvest, transport and other costs, added Pak Daraman.

23 Presented during the public dialog held by SETARA in cooperation with BPK Batanghari. 20, June 2013 (Hj. Sumardiati SP

is the Head of BKP Batanghari ). The information was confirmed by farmers attending the dialog.


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Although oil palm farmers can quickly earn some cash, it is not enough to fulfil thetheir basic needs. Thus oil palm farmers have now started to cut down their foodexpense, and reduce the diversity and quality of food they consume. Often theirchildren has to quit school and become casual workers at companies to earnadditional income for the families to meet their daily needs.

Comparison of farmers' sources of needs24

24 Source: a joint mapping of sources of needs of umo farmers and smallholders to fulfil daily needs.

UmoFarmers

Source PlasmaFarmers(Smallholders)

Source

Umo Purchase Umo Purchase

Rice V Rice V

Vegetables V Vegetables V

Chilipeppers

V Chili peppers V

Fish V Fish V

Herbs (for

cooking)

V Herbs (for

cooking)

V

Sugar, tea,

salt, coffee

V Sugar, tea,

salt, coffee

V

Cooking oil V Cooking oil V

Fruits V Fruits V

Medicine V Medicine V

Food consumption pattern of oil palm

farmers. Almost all are bought at themarket and instant.


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Conclusion

1. Umo with all its strength is a traditional agricultural system that harmonizes

food security, food sovereignty, nutrition diversity, sustainable economicsources, social interaction system, women's role mainstreaming, as well asenvironmental balance based on its carrying capacity. Umo has been proven to bemore beneficial in the long term than growing oil palms. It is a diverse and high-nutrition market for households and is paid by work, not by cash.

2. Umo is a traditional agricultural system that is still applicable today as an answerto food insecurity, environmental degradation, poverty, marginalization ofwomen brought about by the introduction of modern agriculture in the form ofindustrialoil palm and timber estates.

Recommendations

1. Expansion of monoculture plantations has contributed to environmental andecosystem degradation, as well as the shrinking of people's farmland . It is forthis reason that the government should immediately terminate granting newpermits to large companies, both for oil palm and industrial plantation (HTI)concessions. Likewise the government should support villages to protect foodcrop lands through relevant spatial plans and regulations concerning the totality

of ecosystem. Umo should be promoted as an agricultural model to be protectedand further developed by present day farmers.

2. The government should make Umo's products salable on the market so not onlycan they be self-consumed, but they can directly provide economic benefits aswell. NGO activists should contribute in documenting people's knowledge of andexperience in their agricultural models, which are often better than the modernagricultural model being adapted by most farmers in Indonesia.

Closing

All praises be lifted to God, who has given us the chance to complete the studydespite so many problems we were encountering. We are greatly indebted toMisereor, which has supported us. We also thank farmers in Jambi, who havemotivated us to prepare this documentation and undertake this people's knowledge-based study. This is our second documentation as well as the second part of the first


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book, which documents the knowledge and experience of food crop farmers inPalembayan Sub-district, Agam District, West Sumatera Province.

We expect that the study will not be the last we undertake as there are still a lot ofpeople's knowledge of and experience in wise and sustainable land management in

Sumatera and Indonesia.

Last but not least, thanks to all the contributing parties.

Jambi, June 2013

Research Team

Community research team

1. Mr. Datuk Nur Ibrahim2. Mr. M. Basit3. Mr. A. Rahman4. Mrs. Mahdalena5. Mr. Asbiruddin6. Mr. Sanusi7. Mrs. Ida8. Mrs Wartini9. Mrs. Aisyah10.Mrs. Yasnar11.Mr. Bustomi12.Mr. Hafizi13.Mr. Mahfuz

Supporting team

1. Mrs. Nurbaya Zulhakim2. Mr. M. Rafik

3. Mr. Rian Hidayat

4. Mrs. Rukaiyah Rofiq

Umo English Final

Documents

Transcript of Umo English Final