Peatland Forest Fire Mitigation Policies: Impact on Traditional Farmer’s Food Security and Environmental Improvement

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the countries with the most vulnerable food security to the effects of climate change. Peatlands have a considerable potential for crop production, but they must be managed carefully. The government issued a regulation restricting burning the land for farming preparation in response to forest and land fires on peatlands. Unfortunately, traditional farmers lost their food security due to that policy. This research aims to: i) analyze farmers’ food security and its impact on improving the environment after the policy banning burning in land preparation. Data was collected through interviews, field observations, and focus group discussions. The acquired data is analyzed qualitatively and descriptively. According to the study’s findings, their land no longer supports farmer’s food availability, and they must pursue new livelihoods to afford to buy their daily needs from the nearest market. Food utilization is still superficial. Farmers’s food stability is extremely fragile due to the impact of policies, pest invasions, droughts, and floods. Although the policy bans burning in land preparation causes farmers to lose their self-sufficient food security, it has improved peatland ecosystems. The government must strengthen community empowerment programs to restore farmers’ food security.