Food for the future
Organic farming takes root in post-bomb Bali
Graeme MacRae

In the 1990s, the tourism industry in Bali boomed. Many Balinese became rich during this period. But farmers, the traditional upholders of the Balinese economy, became poorer. Costs of agricultural production and the cost of living went up, and the price of agricultural products, especially rice, rose very little. Farmers turned to other work, usually in tourism-related sectors, to make a living. Farmland was converted to other (usually tourism-related) uses. Young people were more attracted to the glamorous prospects offered by tourism than the hard work, dirty clothes and poor pay of farming.

The bombs in Kuta in October 2002 were not the end of tourism, but they were the beginning of the end of the fantasy, blindly held through the boom-years, that tourism was a sustainable long-term base for the Balinese economy. In the wake of the bomb, some advocated a more diversified and sustainable economic base. Many realised that agriculture had been forgotten - or at least marginalised - and that it should perhaps be reinstated at the centre of Balinese culture and economy. Some policy makers suggested developing ‘agro-industri’ and ‘agri-bisnis’ to compete in the global market.

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Owning a piece of paradise, a piece of land in Bali where you can spend your holiday season and permanent annual income guarantee plus capital gain increase is a dream of many people; but the price of this dream, like the price of oil, has badly inflated in recent years.

“Own a piece of paradise” is the magic mantra of Bali property business, which enjoy its impressive growth amidst the slow recovery of tourism to regain its dominant position in the island of God. Take a look at the arid Bukit are in South Bali that is transformed from unwanted land to an area with most expensive land price in the island, not to mention at the beaches of Seminyak and Canggu area with rows of villas surrounding the greatly diminishing paddy field. More and more land is converted into villas, hotels and condominium despite the cry of many NGOs on the land ownership in Bali, which Balinese own less land than investors or foreigners; but with skyscraping price offered for a piece of paradise more and more Balinese sell or lease their land.

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By Marwaan Macan-Markar

TENGANAN, Bali, Indonesia , Dec 19, 2007 (IPS) - When they next harvest the the terraced paddy fields on a gently sloping hill, the farmers in this village will reinforce a tradition that celebrates harmony between people and the environment — and do their bit to slow down climate change.

Credit, carbon or otherwise, must go to the young men in this community of some 200 families with a history going back centuries. For it were they who took the lead in building a micro-hydro power generator to produce electricity using run-of-the-river water to run a small mill to husk and polish locally grown rice.

”This generator can produce 12 to 15 kilowatts of power,” says Putu Wiadnyana, 25, the architect of the single-room micro-hydro generator, which is located near the shimmering green terraced fields along the eastern border of Tenganan. ”The mill should be ready by early next year in time for the next rice harvest.”

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BALI, Indonesia Dec 16, `07 A UN Climate Change Conference adopted a plan to negotiate a new global warming pact on Saturday, Dec 15, after the United States suddenly reversed its opposition to a call by developing nations for technological help to battle rising temperatures.

The adoption came after marathon negotiations overnight, which first settled a battle between Europe and the U.S. over whether the document should mention specific goals for rich countries obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The agreement launches a two-year negotiating process - the Bali roadmap - aiming to secure a binding deal at the 2009 UN summit in Denmark.

European and U.S. envoys dueled into the final hours of the two-week meeting over the EUs proposal that the Bali mandate suggest an ambitious goal for cutting the emissions of industrial nations_ by 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

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Nusa Penida, the arid and dry island which is long had been forgotten now begins to move forward. One of many breakthroughs that push Nusa Penida into the highlight is The Renewable Energy Park in Puncak Mundi (Mundi Peak). This green energy park is situated on the top a hill in Kelumpu village, in Puncak Mundi area, the highest area in Nusa Penida island. The energy park is around 17 Km from Nusa Penida main harbor or 15 minutes drive with public transportation.

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West Bali National Park is not the only conservation spot for Bali Starling, now; Nusa Penida is a home of a hundred these nearly-extinct birds. Nusa Penida Bird Sanctuary is a new reservation spot for Bali Starling organized by Begawan Giri Foundation, and Friend of National Park Foundation with the support of the whole Nusa Penida’s community.

In this island the birds is protected by the whole community of Nusa Penida, by addition of a decree on bird conservation in the awig-awig (traditional law) of Nusa Penida. The community enforces sanctions such as fines and sepekin banjar (ostracized) for anyone caught harming the birds. All 35 villages on Nusa Penida island have now signed bird protection laws and villages and Harbour Authorities are working together to fight the illicit trade. The role of community is not just end up there, at the sanctuary young people from the surrounding village are trained as staff in the clinic; bird handling and research procedures.

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