Vegetable Farmers and Social Innovations in Food Estate Development Area: Collaborative Arrangements in Humbang Hasundutan, North Sumatera, Indonesia Dr. Idha Widi Arsanti (a*), Dr. Acep Hariri (b)
a) Indonesian Center for Agriculture Education
Jln. Harsono RM No. 3, South Jakarta, Indonesia, 12550
*arsantiiw[at]gmail.com
b) Malang Agricultural Development Polytechnic
Jl. DR. Cipto No.144a, Malang, East Java, Indonesia 65215
Abstract
Vegetable farmers in food estate area of Humbang Hasundutan are seeking new types of collaborations and economic opportunities in the new adaptation era. Market opportunities, however, have incurred demanding environmental, financial and labour requirements, and created trade-offs between expanding cash crops and maintaining livelihood security. There are different collaborative models between vegetable farmers and other social agents (suppliers, industries, markets, government, non-governmental organizations) have emerged. Local farmers are engaging in collective actions and pursuing different types of partnerships, which facilitate knowledge exchange and access to market niches, also helping them overcome the infrastructural and logistical deficiencies that have historically limited rural development in this area. We examine the challenges and opportunities these partnerships and social innovations have created for local farmers, who are part of heterogeneous groups with distinct roles, assets and contexts. The state, food estate program posed challenges to small-scale vegetable farmers who experienced asymmetrical relationships within their partnership with private companies. Farmers should be pushed to be more flexibility in deciding their production arrangements, developing new farming techniques, and pursuing commercialization pathways. Despite their limited power, small-scale vegetable farmers have been able to overcome some structural barriers through innovations, entrepreneurship, and renegotiation of contract farming. Thus, their ability to engage in food estate programs provides concrete examples of the potential of governance based on collaborative arrangements to support sustainable vegetable farming systems.
