IMPACT OF COMMUNITY BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AS A CONCEPT OF MODERN AGRICULTURE TOWARDS DIVERSITY OF TROPICAL FRUIT TREE, ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY INCOME IN INDONESIAN SUPPORTING AEC
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Date
2016-05-31
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BB Pengkajian Teknologi Pertanian
Abstract
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is a big challenge and opportunity for Indonesia to encourage the economic growth. The AEC is the realization of the end goal of economic integration, based on a convergence of interests of ASEAN Member Countries to deepen and broaden economic integration through existing and new initiatives with clear timelines. The AEC will establish ASEAN as a single market and production base making ASEAN more dynamic and competitive with new mechanisms and measures to strengthen the implementation of its existing economic initiatives; accelerating regional integration in the priority sectors (ASEAN Secretariat, 2008).
The high level of competitiveness is an important key for Indonesia to conquer the global competition. One of most valuable assets owned by Indonesian is specific genetic resources. It is related with Indonesia as a mega biodiversity countries and an archipelagic country, with its thousands of islands scattered between two continents (Asia and Australia) and two oceans (Pacific and Indian). Indonesia is endowed with very rich and unique biological resources. More than 329 native and introduced fruit species have been documented and described in Indonesia as potential sources of food, nutrition and medicine (Uji, 2007). The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (2010) has prioritized mango and Citrusas commodities and has targeted production of some 2.5 million tons of mango and 2.3 million tons of Citrus. However, the programs are threatened by farm land conversions. The rate of farm land conversions in Indonesia is around 100.000 hectares per year and caused by the rapid population growth in the last 15 years that increased around 1,49% per year (Indonesian Statistic Agency, 2014).
Diversifying the agricultural sector has become now an important strategic interest for the Indonesian Government, which requires also a conservation strategy to maintain a viable population of species and the intra-specific diversity within species as the fundamental source for improved planting material. To diversify and improve the agricultural sector, the conservation of fruit trees is urgently needed by the Indonesian government (Hanani et al., 2009), especially for fruit trees which have recalcitrant seeds and cannot be conserved in cold storage. The prevention of erosion of native fruit genetic resources should be highlighted as a national priority. Loosing plant genetic resources means that Indonesia will lose national assets to develop new products or compete in the global market, whereas the competitiveness level of Indonesian fruits in Asia is already low.
On-farm conservation entails the active participation of local communities in the documentation, multiplication, utilization and safeguarding of unique species and varieties found on their farms. In-situ and on-farm conservation is ineffective without local community
participation (Isager et al.,2001). Community-based Biodiversity Management (CBM), is an example of a conservation approach that empowers the community through participation so that their access to and control over genetic resources are secured (Rechlin et al., 2008). Sthapit et al., (2008) described CBM method entails several steps and type of interventions. Firstly, sites and communities are selected with high level of unique inter or intra-specific diversity, followed by full understanding of the local context to determine if on-farm conservation is appropriate and feasible. The next steps are: raising awareness, set-up institutional modalities, strengthen capacities and skills, development and implementation of action plans for utilization and conservation, mobilize CBM funds, and facilitating social learning in which local stakeholders lead and drive the CBM process (Sthapit et al.,2008).
On-farm conservation activities and interventions include the organization of diversity fairs, the documentation and description of local species and varieties in a catalogue or register, establishment of nurseries for multiplication and distribution of unique plant or seed material, the promotion of nutritional values and traditional recipes, the development of enterprises and market linkages for the sales of products or services based on local unique crop diversity and the protection/conservation of most important source trees or seed material (Arsanti, 2013). Thus, CBM approaches can be classified as a new concept of modern agriculture system since the community participations have been placed as an important part and the project also osculate the upstream and downstream aspects of conservation, so that the community can generate the economic welfare.