Agroforestry and Forestry in Sulawesi series: livelihood strategies and land use system dynamics in Southeast Sulawesi

Abstract

The project, Agroforestry and Forestry in Sulawesi: Linking Knowledge with Action (the ‘AgFor Sulawesi Project’) has been developed for implementation in 3 provinces of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia (South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi a nd Gorontalo) from 2011 until 2016 to enhance the agroforestry and forestry livelihood systems of rural communities in Sulawesi. This baseline survey was conducted to support the project. The main objectives of the survey were to study the general characteristics of community livelihoods in Southeast Sulawesi, local farming systems and current land-use systems based on community perspectives. Assessment of land-use dynamics, farming systems and livelihood strategies within 2 districts in Southeast Sulawesi is very important for developing the next phase of the project. Two unit analyses were used in the livelihood baseline study— community and household levels. The group discussion results in the 4 village typologies showed that there were small differences in livelihood options within the villages, which mainly earned income from cacao cultivation. However, in terms of tree crops and farm management, differences were clear. In typology 1 (local villages), the main crops were cacao, paddy, patchouli and sago. Typology 2 (local and migrant villages) opted for cacao, maize and paddy rice, while typology 3 (long-established transmigrant villages) farmed cacao and pepper. Typology 4 (recent-established transmigrant villages) inhabited was different as charcoal, timber and fruits were preferred besides cacao. The farm management systems of immigrants from South Sulawesi were more intense than the indige nous population. The cacao system used by locals in typology 1 was not intense compared to those managed by immigrants from South Sulawesi in Typology 2. In all 4 villages, the cacao agroforestry area has increased tremendously during the last 40 years, accompanied by a significant decrease in forested area generally. The household survey concluded that the average total income per year per household in typology 1 villages was lower than their counterparts from elsewhere. The daily per capita income of farmers in typology 1 villages was also lower than other farmers who were earning considerably more from other sources