The people of Indonesia & their culture, politics, economy and environment - Inside Indonesia: The peoples and cultures of Indonesia

Agriculture

Hunger and culture in West Papua

Oil palm projects are causing hunger in Merauke, both literal and symbolic

Being young, female and poor

Young women farmers in Java and Flores find themselves on the lower rungs of multiple ladders

Islam-inspired renewable energy

A collaboration between a teacher and farmers in Central Java is unlocking the potential of an indigenous biofuel source

Farmers’ worst enemy

Over-use of pesticides is making the crops ‘sick’, but only farmers educated about the environment understand this

Anticipating the future

Success and failure of Indramayu farmers’ responses to El-Niño

Good intentions, mixed realities

Bali’s World Heritage listing has put its rice-farming culture under stress

Transboundary haze

A regional problem with a regional cause

Certification: curse or blessing?

Coffee tree in Lampung province - Ron Cörvers

At a workshop in Bali, experts reflect on the sustainable production of Indonesia’s cash crops

Maukah saya menjadi petani?

Para pemuda yang tinggal di desa berbasis pertanian menjelaskan keraguan dan aspirasi mereka tentang masa depan di bidang pertanian

Would I like to be a farmer?

Rural youth in rice-growing villages explain their doubts and aspirations about a future in agriculture

An agrarian reform agenda for Jokowi

Community members in Central Kalimantan attempt to prevent the planting of palm oil on land they claim as their own - Save Our Borneo

Jokowi must accommodate customary rights lest his development agenda spur land conflicts

Bird’s nest boom

Indonesia’s efforts to supply delicacies to China are evolving in surprising directions

Overprotection is not the answer

Food self-sufficiency in Indonesia is a valid problem but so far the government has only provided counterproductive solutions

Campaigning for agrarian reform

Rahmat Ajiguna talks to Eve Warburton about the need to make farmers the centre of food security in Indonesia

Food security is an urgent policy problem in Indonesia but opinions are divided about how best to feed the poorest and most vulnerable Thushara Dibley and Eve Warburton Indonesia is a country with a rapidly expanding middle class and a growing economy. Its neighbours are taking more notice, and Indonesia now plays a pivotal role in regional politics. Yet for many Indonesians, the daily task of feeding their families can be a real challenge. Even with government subsidies, Indonesia has the most expensive rice in the region. The government's commitment to reducing heavy fuel subsidies is expected to impact the price and accessibility of rice and other basic foodstuffs. Poor families are the most vulnerable in this situation.

Making food politics personal

Young people in Yogyakarta turn unused urban space into edible gardens

Rethinking Indonesia’s beef self-sufficiency agenda

The government’s latest approach is not the most effective or efficient way to promote food security

Food security in Indonesia

Despite being a middle-income country, many Indonesians still face the prospect of going hungry

A matter of life or death for the Indonesian nation?

Hunger remains a problem in many Indonesian households

No-take zones

In West Papua province’s Raja Ampat islands, a local fisheries conservation initiative is setting a global standard

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Lontar Modern Indonesia

A selection of stories from the Indonesian classics and modern writers, periodically published free for Inside Indonesia readers, courtesy of Lontar.