By Usep Setiawan

Agricultural world, agrarian, and environment of this world recently facing a new threat from the practice of mastery and use of land massively and intensive in wide  scale by the foreign in of a country. 

This was done by reason of productivity of agriculture for world food security, which termed as land grabbing purposed to food colonialism. While we remembrances the International Peasant Struggle Day on April 17 2010, writers focusing on policy regarding food estate in Indonesia in its relation with new challenges above.

Trough mass media, we understand that the controversy has companied the issued of food estate as the latest agricultural development policy which encourages by government of SBY volume II. One of its, this mater has triggers the issued of new regulation in the field of agriculture berupa Government Regulation Number 18 Year 2010 regarding Plant Cultivation Exertion, signed by the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on January 28, 2010.  

Food estate “nisbat” as a concept of integrated of food production development including agriculture, plantations and animal husbandry with a widely area. Whereas the result of developing of food estate that is sustainability supply of national food and to exported. Several mater which regulate is pro   

Reputedly, there was several benefit from the food estate, that is, first, government can open a new land of crops food in fast and increasing production of food crops. Secondly, government can invite investors to investing especially outside of Java Island driven the economic activities. Thirdly, able to enhanced income either government or peasant trough food estate sector. Fourthly, able to increases of tenacity of food in Indonesia (if government willing to control the distribution of agricultural products (Cahyono, 2009).   

Minister of Agriculture Suwono mentioned, one of the fundamental problems facing the agriculture sector is narrowed of land mastery by peasant. It’s not easy to increasing peasant welfare with that problem. One of the alternative solution are which has stated by the Minister of Agriculture is is with the management of abandoned land in area 2,2 million hectares to be managed in field of agriculture.

As for food estate outside of Java its implementation through the agriculture mechanized support, whereas in Java integrated with the programs which has been implemented. This may open opportunities for transmigration add more of land area through utilization of land which abandoned. Food estate development aimed to strengthen food security and export.

Many Dangers

Number of parties annunciates many of dangers of food estate. Indonesia Peasant Union (SPI), a peasant movement organization at national level incorporated in La via Campesina, regretted the options of government policy boosting the production with food estate. This country increasingly tied foreign capital and liberalization threatening food sovereignty.

The main problem of agriculture is the low level of ownership of agricultural land. The government is only focusing on the interests of investors. Food estate will attract foreign investors because will be given much of simplicity to "posses" and manage the land in Indonesia.

Food estate able directed to the feudalism because role of indigenous peasant only as partners alias “labour” for capitalist in food estate. The government advantage from food estate is open employment opportunities, increasing of tax income, and non-tax. However government lack of attention that peasant will remains as labour in his own country. Instead of giving to the foreign, it should the government has to think how million of hectares “land bed” able to managed by Indonesian peasant. (www.spi.or.id).

The loss been identified of food estate that is, first, land potential which owned by Indonesia people unable to maximized and fully managed by peasant. Secondly, if the regulation which resulted by the government regarding food estate have more side on capitalist than peasant, possibilities of conflict such as conflict at the big plantation also will occur in food estate.      

Thirdly, if the regulation can deliver simplicity and discretion for company or personals of capitalist to manage food estate, then the characters of agriculture are corporate based food and agriculture production, which weaken the food sovereignty of Indonesia. 

Fourthly, if the government capable to control distribution of production resulted from food estate, and then the capitalist will become a determiner of market prices because can determine if intended to be sold in domestic (country) or to be exported are a benefited prices which advantages the capitalist. 

Food estate also as a critical issue which causing ecological damage.

Deforestation representing a portrait damage of forest and environment as cause of legal or not illegal logging. The greed of mankind has answered by the nature in diversity way such as flood/slide when rainy season also dryness in dry seasons. The rapid damages of Indonesia forest about of 13 of field of soccer’s ball within a minute or equal to 3, 6 million hectare of forest in every year. According to the data recorded in the department of forestry (2003), the damages forest or unable to be function optimally has reach an area of 43 million hectares from the total of Indonesia forest about 120, 35 million hectares.

Along with the rapidity of food estate, the rapid of forest damages and environment predicted will increase dramatically. The character of food crops based on lots of capital requires a land extensively then they were hungry of land.      

Then what is the precise trick to end the controversy of food estate and skim the threat of land grabbing also food colonialism? Nothing else, the government should again focus in implementing agrarian reform as a policy in first place as a development foundation including agriculture development to embodied sustainability, autonomy, and food sovereignty. Happy Day World Farmers. Wish peasant struggle continue strengthen.   

Writers are Chief of National of Council of consortium of Agrarian Reform

 Source:

http://www.sinarharapan.co.id/cetak/berita/read/kiat-mengakhiri-kontroversi-food-estate/