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Source: Pixabay [6]
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia has been witnessing a rise in interest towards urban farming [1]. However, considering that the trend of urban farming has actually been blooming since the early 2010s [2], why has it taken this long for Indonesia to spot its charm?
Read also: Growing A Green Future with Urban Farming
1) Ambiguous regulations
So far, regulations and policies regarding urban farming are very ambiguous. For example, the Ministry of Public Works does not classify urban agriculture as a form of green open space while the Ministry of Interior states the opposite. There have also been several cases where urban farming is labelled in spatial planning as a non-formal activity, either for economic or ecological function [3].
2) Lack of economy incentives
Although the government does provide support for land use, there are no economic incentives offered to encourage communities to engage in urban farming. Instead, urban farming in Indonesia has flourished to some extent due to corporate interest in the field and occasional contributions assisted by the Ministry of Agriculture [3].
The best of aid coming from the government is in the form of awards such as Kalpataru that are given to individuals or groups that have been successful in their urban farming initiatives, something that is actually less valued than real support as said by locals [4].
Source: Unsplash [7]
3) Lack of interest amongst youths
Most youths in Indonesia still view agricultural works as low-wage manual labors. In 2019, the National Labor Force Survey stated that only 23% of 14,2 million youths in Indonesia are currently working in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors. This lack of good images greatly affects communities’ interest toward urban farming as well [5].
Source: Unsplash [8]
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