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

Umo is Life

A 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.

Contents
Preface...................................................................................................................................... 3 Research Objective................................................................................................................. 4 Research Methode.................................................................................................................. 5 Expected Outcome................................................................................................................ 5 Land management, traditional wisdom and production patterns in the research sites................................................................................................................ 6

The Umo system and its values.......................................10

Umo: the castle for family food security and nutrition Umo; economic resources for families Umo as a space for social interaction Umo and women Umo: a sustainability-based spatial model

The changing context of umo...........................................19

Umo among oil palm, timber plantations and government programs Practising umo on oil palm plantation or growing oil palms on umos? Conclusion..............................................................................................................................24 Recomendations....................................................................................................................24 Closing....................................................................................................................................24

Preface
Exploitation of natural resources for the benefit of regional revenue, implemented in the model of large-scale plantations, mining and forest plantation industries, continues unabated. After stripping forests, agricultural lands, particularly irrigated farms, become the next target. A recently, example of this was towards the end of 2012, where a palm oil plantation company obtained a location permit from the Regent of Batanghari covering 7,800 ha. The permit was issued when Indonesia was imposing moratorium on new permits for palm oil concessions in forests and peatland1. While the new permit for PT ICA is not granted on peatland or natural forests, it endangers the people by covering the same areas where thousand of farmers source their livelihood:rice fields and swamps that supply water to some villages in Mersam Sub-district (kecamatan). Besides the district of Mersam, the regent also issued a permit to PT Damasraya Palma Sejahtera for a 5,000-hectare concession in the sub-districts of Batin XXIV and Tembesi that lies exactly on both productive rice fields belonging to the villages' people and areas potential for irrigated 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 directly mortgaged the landsto big oil palm companies. Not only are the sources of food crops mortgaged but the knowledge and the wisdom of farmers in managing their land are
1

Moratorium 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.

also replaced with an exploitative monoculture agricultural model. With such pressure and limited information, the throng of food crop farmers has abandoned their 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 future through the modern oil palm plantation model. This situation drove the farmers in Karmeo village in Batin,Batanghari District, along with a team of Yayasan SETARA, to carry out a joint research and documentation of a traditional agriculture model called umo. This model has been much ignored by the government in favour of legalized land use change by way of location permits and HGU (concession) permits. At the same time, farmers have abandoned this practice in pursuit of the modern agricultural model that is purported to lift them out of poverty. The research and documentation process aimed to rediscover not only the economic value but also of the social, cultural and environmental significance of the umo practice in pursuing a more sustainable, locally-controlled agricultural development. Research Objectives The objectives of the research are as follows: 1. To observe how land management model has been developed by food crop farmers in the sub-district of Batin XXIV. 2. To observe the relationship between traditional agriculture as a land management and agricultural production model to support the environmental balance, sustainable livelihoods, food security, with land management as the social and culture bond in the study areas. 3. To see quick comparisons regarding any benefits provided by the oil palm plantation model and a traditional agricultural model called Umo. 4. To promote Umo agricultural model as a todays model of agriculture, which is meant not only as an economic resource for the family, but also as a bastion of food security and of food sovereignty, and to make Umo a spatial use model that takes environmental balance and sustainability into consideration. 5. To produce documentation for JARITANGAN2 (Jaringan Petani Pangan) in Sumatra, and as an advocacy tool for JARINTANGAN Sumatra and some NGOs 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.

Research methods The joint research was a result of the growing concerns of food crop farmers, who are members of JARITANGAN Sumatra, especially those in Batin XXIV sub-district who are fighting against the expansion of large scale oil palm plantations. This research was based on farmers' knowledge and experiencecarried out through in-depth focused group discussion discussions and village meetings. The village meetings were intended to crosscheck the information described by the researchers, and to consolidate the data and information gathered. "We are very impressed with the research conducted in West Sumatra, which compared the economic values of all commodities. Based on the results of that research, we understand that oil palm is not a hope, because it is not economically profitable, and we also want our agricultural model, Umo, to be known by others, especially farmers like us, who are only informed 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 applicable nowadays, i.e. social, environmental, and economic ones. " Rafiq, a researcher and member of the BPD in the village of Hajran. Expected outcomes 1. In-depth understanding of land management models developed by farmers, primarily of agriculture models and production patterns, to address issues on economic sustainability, food security, and environmental balance. 2. An alternative agricultural model for today's agriculture a management of land adopting diverse and rotational traditional agricultural systems serving as an antithesis of the monoculture and exploitative large-scale oil palm plantations. 3. As documentation for food crop farmers in Sumatra, and as a tool to advocate against expansion of destructive oil palm plantations. 4. As recommendations to the policy makers, so that the expansion of oil palm plantations are no longer applied in crucial areas like people's food crops farms and management areas, as well as ecologically critical areas such as hilly and mountainous areas. 5. A learning foundation for food crop farmers who are currently preparing to leave traditional farming, and are switching to monoculture modern agriculture.

Land management, traditional wisdom and production patterns 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 in 6,563 households, about 2,520 out of which are farmers who depend on local agriculture 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 only about 110 km from Jambi, and has flat and hilly landscapes on the other side. These make Batin XXIV a target for entrepreneurs from Jambi. Not only its landscape, its natural resource potential is also unique. Some of its villages, like Olak Besar, Jelutih, and Hajrah, are the buffering villages of Bukit 12 National Park.

In addition to its unique landscape, since it borders on with the National Park, the other interesting thing is the wisdom of the community in managing the land, which is locally called Umo.3 Until now, though slowly fading due to pressure of modern agriculture with monoculture models, the Umo system is still developed not only by the people residing in Batin XXIV, but also by some of the sub-districts in other districts such as Kerinci, Bangko, Sarolangun, Bungo, Batanghari, Muara Jambi, including by some villages in Tanjabar 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. 2. Umo Renah is lowlands used as a field to grow rice and other crops. Umo Renah is set up in the inner village/residential area, or along the village riverbanks. Umo Kasang / Umo Talang is a plateau used as a field to grow rice and other crops. 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 from the 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 lies deep in the forest. Umo Payo is a wet or watery lowland used to grow rice and short-lived vegetables like kale, and to raise ducks, generally after the harvest times. The farmers let the duck roam freely in this lowland, which now called sawah (irrigated rice field).

3.

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

Umo sketch in the Sub-district of Batin XXIV

Umo (Be-Umo4) is a traditional agricultural management hereditarily developed by people in Jambi, and is known among most Malay ethnics living in some districts of Jambi Province. Tradition of be-Umo has been developed using simple tools like machetes, 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 like machetes (to cut down small trees) and beliung5 (to cut down large trees). The length of time needed to set up an Umo depends on the extent of the Umo itself and the size of 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 local people as manggang or merun. The burning of the area is done with a purpose. It is a natural and traditional fertilization method, done in rotation and considering the wind direction and the weather. After the burning is done, rice is planted in a way called tanjak6 for Umo kasang, and nandur7 for Umo renah. Almost all the agricultural processes of be-Umo are done in groups, starting from opening 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 of bulian tree 6 Tanjak is planting rice without raising seedlings in advance. It is commonly called Nugal 7 Nandur is planting rice after raising the seedlings

pelarian8

are

two

collaborative

traditions

known

in

the

be-Umo.

Umo evolves and changes as rubber cultivation9 develops. In the sub-district of Batin XIV 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 carrying capacity of a given landscape. The Umo is a farming model that harmonizes the diversity of nutrition, incomes, and knowledge, and it is a farming model that takes into 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.

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 provide various types of wood materials to meet the need of building material for households. Umos ability to meet all the food needs proves that the traditional farming system is invaluable in terms of money. The availability of various food crops 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 we dont have in Umos are salt, sugar, and clothes. herbs and oil can all be processed from Umo products. Umos are very important to us, because in Umos everything is available and we are

10

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

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

Dec (the rainy season) :

harvesting rambutans, rambai and jmbu

high tide installing fishnets (pukat) in the river

Jan-Feb:

Nov (beginning of the rainy season):

harvesting pumpkins, and long beans
Sep-Oct: harvesting rice, dukus and durians (making tempoyak)

Mar-Apr: low
tide cultivating seedlings, planting rice

May-June:
Planting vegetables on the embankments, weeding and fishing

The season calendar sketch in the traditional agricultural patterns of the Umo Renah and Umo Payo

July-August:
harvesting rice and vegetables

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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 belubur 11 that we have long used, which means 'rice harvest from the previous year which we keep in a barn'. Belubur can also mean the barn itself. Sometimes the rice that we harvested the previous year is not used up and is mixed 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 some do, said Datuk Nur Ibrahim. In the discussions conducted with farmers in Karmeo Village, we found out that the presence of belubur in the past was meant to ensure availability of rice reserve for every household, and that the disappearance of belubur at present is due to the fact that rice is easy to get. Some farmers even claim that belubur has moved to the markets. So, if farmers do not plant rice or harvest fails, they can buy rice in the markets. In Karmeo Village today, although the role of Belubur has been replaced by that of the market, there are still many farmers who maintain Belubur in a simpler way. For example, they still grow and store rice, with the proportion that the rice planted or harvested 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 produce rice, but also become ponds, where the people fish, when harvest time is over. And this happens until the next planting season, and happens continually. Such ponds are used not only for fishing, but also for raising ducks. Ducks would enjoy the unhulled rice scattered on the ground as their delicious meal. For three months ahead the ducks will lay eggs. Meanwhile, the farmers possessing Umo Talang (the fields far away from home) will raise chickens nearby and cows near the residence. In addition to vegetables, herbs are also grown in Umos. Usually, herbs are grown around the houses. This is done by the women, who are also in charge of growing vegetables and harvesting the rice. The herbs grown are lemongrass, galangal, ginger, turmeric and gando12. In Umos we can also find fruits such as rambutan, duku, rose apple, guava, and durian. Although the fruits are not the kinds commonly found in the markets, they at least can fulfill the nutrients need of the family.

11

Belubur is a rice barn, or a building specifically built to store rice 12 Gando is a herb used to replace red onions

12

Foods from Umo

Umo; economic resources for families As a mixed farming system, umos provide not only food but also economic commodities such as rubber. And rubber has long become a sustainable economic resource for the households there. "In our tradition, we dont sell our rice, vegetables, and fruits. 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 use the money for our kids, for school, 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 10 trees at the most", said Pak Basit, who still maintains the tradition of Umo until today.

13

Based on the calculation by Pak Basit, who practices Umo on his 2 hectares of rubber plantation, he has harvested about 1,000 stems of natural rubber plants or forest rubber plants, resulting in approximately 800 kg of rubber sap/month. This means that in 20 days of harvest, 13 he can gain 40 kg/day. He will sell the harvest once in every 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 to Basit, is used for the school fees of his 3 children (the first-born child currently attends the junior high school), the electricity bill, installments (motorcycle), and some savings. According to some other farmers, who are also involved in our discussions, currently farmers can gain income from umos by selling vegetables, durians (Kingfruits), duku and rambutan if they are in season in addition to rice, as long as all the needs are already fulfilled. In conclusion, umos can provide both healthy food and income for households. According to some farmers, the income generated by oil palms will not necessarily dazzle them if they can sell umos products at good prices and steadily. Umo as a space for social interaction The Be-Umo tradition is inseparable from the social life in Batin XXIV sub-district. In addition to the commodities produced, the umo tradition embraces socio-cultural

values and cannot be assessed with money. The tradition of exchanging food or food products from umos, and the tradition of sharing the products (food) with families who do not have umos are some examples of the values. Opening Umo and doing other 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

14

Mutual cooperation values are shown in some models of agricultural activities in Umo, 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 to the Umo and lend a hand. The host will prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks. If Umo is done in Talang (Umo Kasang which is located outside the village), the people leave for the talang in the afternoon before the berselang day.17 The food needed for the people will be provided by the family/host. 2. Pelarian a form of mutual cooperation which is done by way of helping others in agriculture such as planting rice and harvesting rice alternately. The difference is that in the beselang it is done together and not alternately, and according to the needs or demands of the people who ask for help. Anyone who asks 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 activities cooperatively in Umos or in the farm in turns, and the length of the work period depends on the agreement. For example, if they agree on a two-day activity, they will each be helped in turns in two days. Provision of food for the people involved in pelarian will also be based on agreement. Generally, each of the people will bring their own lunch boxes, and when it is time for meals, they will share 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 living in 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 for rice but also for other commodities like rubber. "In beselang what is important is that we help one another. Each of us used to have 2 hectares of field and we worked on the fields cooperatively. The work became less heavy because everybody worked hand in hand enthusiastically. When it was time for planting or 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 another kampong. We used to go baselang as far as Mersam Village. When notified that there is beselang in another village or kampong, we, especially young men and women, flock there by 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 beselang tradition 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

15

3. Basokat a social interaction in which people come for paying zakat or tithe in the form of rice produced from Umos. In a community whose members are generally Moslems, religious information is also shared and gives a considerable influence on 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 be handed to underprivileged people. 4. Exchanging seeds with other people is also a social interaction which embraces a mutual cooperation value. Exchanging seeds, all kinds of the existing rice seeds, is carried out voluntarily among all the people Seeds of all kinds and other necessary goods are also exchanged. It is possible that the seeds having been given will be replaced with new seeds after the harvest. The seed exchanging is meant so that nobody can monopolize one type of seeds or that seed diversity is maintained. Hence, during food or meal exchange, big or small, nutrients exchange also takes place automatically. A lot of social values are embodied in the traditional agricultural model of Umo not only during Umo activities, but also during the opening of Umo. Cooperation is done so 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 abandon this tradition. They prefer working for plantation companies to working in their own Umos, so that many Umos are neglected or even have been converted into oil palm plantations belonging to companies. Umo and women Umo specifically has an attachment with women, like the bond between a mother and a child. The bond is getting stronger when Umo contains rice, either non-irrigated rice or payo (irrigated rice). For example, towards the stage in which the grains begin to form, in the afternoon the mothers or women always make fireplace or bonfire in the embankments to show the plants in the Umo, especially the rice, that the Umo owners are with them (the rice). And, when the mothers or women are about to leave for home, they tie the leaves of two adjacent sticks while saying "remain there and tomorrow I will come back. The saying, which shows gratitude and hope so that the grains will remain there until the harvest time comes, also demonstrates their love 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 are planted (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 zakat and distribute it to the poor, the elders, widows, orphans and those not having umos.

16

this field, from the planting, maintaining, and cooking. Umos to women is like a room for them to be creative in fulfilling various food necessities and in providing various nutrients for their family members. Without Umo, the chance to be creative will be gone, 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 and preparing the storage). 2. Being responsible for breeding, particularly using local seeds 3. Planting fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs 4. Farming rubber trees. With the involvement of men, women prepare the land, plant seeds, weed, harvest, and even transport the harvest to the storage 5. 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 a bay leaf, kandis acid, acid and acid Glugur siriang-exuberant). 6. Taking care of livestock (not just chickens, ducks, but also goats and buffaloes or cows), 7. Fishing in rice fields and in the rivers. 8. Processing food for the families.

17

Looking at the descriptions above, we can see that women has more space in the practice of Umo. Maybe we can say that Umo is women's space. Imagine now, if Umos 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 model Seeing the landscape/stretch of Umo, we can spot harmonization of land use proper land use plans which considers the land's carrying capacity and suitability. For example, when Umo Payo is planted with irrigated rice only once in a year, it is meant that the farmers are wise enough to give space to other creatures like fish and livestock. They even give the chance to the soil to breathe again. Similarly, in Umo kasang or Umo Talang, the planted crops are perennials such as rubber, wood and fruits. 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 of the landscape, there are also traditional patterns which farmers use as a form of respect 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, the planting is done earlier; if the second star is brighter than the others, the planting is done in the middle of the planting season, but if the third star is the brightest, it is 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 wisdom patterns still exist? And when Umos have been replaced with monoculture oil palm plantations, 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.
20

A kind of rice pests

18

The changing context of umo

Umo today may not be as uniform and large as it once was practiced. Limited availability of land has driven umo farmers to maximise the use of their agricultural land. It is not surprising to see umos are planted with superior rubber and with fruits 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 planted twice a year to maximise the use of the rice fields. The obvious impact is the unavoidable use of pesticide. The declining soil fertility and water availability as well as the increasing pest attack as a result of oil palm development in Karmeo Village are other problems that reduce the commodity diversity of Umo in the village. Water pollution resulting from the use of dangerous pesticide by the plantation industry has led to the declining availability of animal protein (fish from the rivers). Nowadays, umo farmers are left with not many choices with so many bad facts pressuring umo existence and the commodity variety it produces. Umo land has been increasingly shrinking and is waiting to be extinct from the agricultural model and system in Batin XXIV Sub-district.

19

Umo among oil palm, timber plantations and government programs Ever since the operation of the companies in our village, we can no longer set up umos. It is said that the forests must not be cleared as they belong to the state. What we can do is to continue working the existing umos. However, it's getting more and more difficult to practice umo 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 regulations restricting the practice, said Pak Mahfus from a neighboring village of Karmeo.

Vegetables grow well after the burning

Some farmers in several villages in Batin XXIV Sub-district have left the umo system and turned into oil palm growers due to the restriction on land burning, the declining water 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, taking control of 47,360 hectares of land (some 52%) out of the total sub-district area (89,813 Ha). The amount of water used for the millions of oil palm trees and the extent of pest attack are beyond imagination. The presence of the companies has altered not only land functions but also the local working 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 the morning until 3 in the afternoon. Such a change can be clearly seen from the decreasing number of farmers managing their land, notably the rice fields in Batin XXIV 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.

20

crop lands. In 2008, for example, the Sub-district had only 394 Ha (30.2%) out of the total 1,301 Ha of rice fields. In 2010 until now only 81 Ha have been existent. Of the rest, 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 rather than managing their own lands.

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 Fish/meat 0.5 Kg/day Vegetable 2 bundles/day Chili pepper 100 gr/day Herbs Cooking oil 0.25 lt/day Sugar, salt, tea, coffee Electricity Gas for cooking School fee (1 child)

: : : : : : : : : :

IDR6,500/kg (this is bad quality rice) average price of fish IDR15,000/kg (river fish) IDR1,000/bundle IDR5,000/100 gr IDR3,000/day IDR3,000 IDR3,000 IDR5,000 (assuming the monthly bill is IDR150,000) IDR2,000 (assuming the montly use is IDR60,000) IDR10,000 (this has already included the school fee and daily pocket money of IDR2,000)

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

In addition to the pressure of modern agriculture (oil palm estates), conversion on forestland into timber plantations has adversely affected the soil fertility and water availability in areas allocated by farmers to be irrigated rice farms. W hat we do seems all wrong, wanting to plant rice and vegetables, we have no water, all absorbed by the oil palm and acacia plantations. Wanting to plant oil palm, we have limited land. Even if we grow oil palms, the harvest would just be enough to buy cheap rice while in fact we have been enjoying good quality rice. The harvest is not enough for us to buy good quality rice. I only have 1hectare 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 who now 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 to the presence of the companies. And many are unwilling to practice umo due to government's programs. For example, since the government introduced the cheap rice program (Raskin 22) in
22 Raskin is an abbreviation of 'cheap rice'. Raskin is the government program to provide cheap rice for the poor.

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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 and some have even been sold to companies and some rice farmers grow oil palm on their rice fields instead. said Datuk Ibrahim. Since the cheap rice program, many of the rice farmers have been enjoying getting cheap rice so that they think it unnecessary to manage their rice fields. In fact, the rice from the government will not even last a month. In the future, the distribution of the cheap rice to rice farmers should be terminated. Distributing cheap rice to rice farmers is like telling them not to grow 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 in taking control of forests as the economic value of the timber is more than enough to finance 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' management lands. Such a thought proves to be entirely wrong. It is only recently that large companies have started to fight each other to obtain farmers' lands. They adopts various means to force the farmers to sell their lands or to force them to sign a partnership scheme with the companies. All kinds of Umo Umo Talang/Umo kasang, Umo Renah, and even Umo Payo are now targeted by the industry. Umos and their owner farmers have to fight alone. The government, which was expected to protect 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 to companies. Selling theirs means selling their lives. Farmers also have to think a thousand times before deciding to grow oil palms. Oil palms are good only for 35 years. After that, the land is useless. So if there is still a chance to plant any hardwood species, as water has become scarce, they should grow rubber. At least, the farmers can keep the harvest when the price is low. 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 grow vegetables in the yard and I have to get another job (e.g. becoming a teacher) as the profit from oil palm is not enough to make ends meet. 40% of the profit goes back to the 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 the their basic needs. Thus oil palm farmers have now started to cut down their food expense, and reduce the diversity and quality of food they consume. Often their children has to quit school and become casual workers at companies to earn additional income for the families to meet their daily needs. Comparison of farmers' sources of needs24
Umo Farmers Source Plasma Farmers (Smallholders ) Purchase Rice Vegetables Chili peppers Fish Herbs (for cooking) Sugar, tea, salt, coffee Cooking oil Fruits Medicine Source

Rice Vegetables Chili peppers Fish Herbs (for cooking) Sugar, tea, salt, coffee Cooking oil Fruits Medicine

Umo V V V V V

Umo

Purchase V V V V V V V V V

V V V V

Food consumption pattern of oil palm farmers. Almost all are bought at the market and instant.

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

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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 economic sources, social interaction system, women's role mainstreaming, as well as environmental balance based on its carrying capacity. Umo has been proven to be more beneficial in the long term than growing oil palms. It is a diverse and highnutrition 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 answer to food insecurity, environmental degradation, poverty, marginalization of women brought about by the introduction of modern agriculture in the form of industrialoil palm and timber estates.

Recommendations
1. Expansion of monoculture plantations has contributed to environmental and ecosystem degradation, as well as the shrinking of people's farmland . It is for this reason that the government should immediately terminate granting new permits to large companies, both for oil palm and industrial plantation (HTI) concessions. Likewise the government should support villages to protect food crop lands through relevant spatial plans and regulations concerning the totality of ecosystem. Umo should be promoted as an agricultural model to be protected and further developed by present day farmers. 2. The government should make Umo's products salable on the market so not only can they be self-consumed, but they can directly provide economic benefits as well. NGO activists should contribute in documenting people's knowledge of and experience in their agricultural models, which are often better than the modern agricultural model being adapted by most farmers in Indonesia.

Closing
All praises be lifted to God, who has given us the chance to complete the study despite so many problems we were encountering. We are greatly indebted to Misereor, which has supported us. We also thank farmers in Jambi, who have motivated us to prepare this documentation and undertake this people's knowledgebased 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 in Palembayan 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 of people'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 Ibrahim 2. Mr. M. Basit 3. Mr. A. Rahman 4. Mrs. Mahdalena 5. Mr. Asbiruddin 6. Mr. Sanusi 7. Mrs. Ida 8. Mrs Wartini 9. Mrs. Aisyah 10. Mrs. Yasnar 11. Mr. Bustomi 12. Mr. Hafizi 13. Mr. Mahfuz

Supporting team 1. 2. 3. 4. Mrs. Nurbaya Zulhakim Mr. M. Rafik Mr. Rian Hidayat Mrs. Rukaiyah Rofiq

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