Traditional agroforestry on small tropical islands, potentials for community-based development in Tioor and Rhun, Moluccas, Indonesia

Abstract

In 1998, traditional land use and resource management systems on the islands of Tioor and Rhun in the Moluccas, eastern Indonesia, were studied and the prospects for their inclusion in community-based land and resource management plans were examined. Traditional practices include shifting cultivation, permanent upland agriculture, tree gardens with perennials such as coconut, clove, Robusta coffee, nutmeg, and sago, and mixed gardens. The agroforestry types of land use systems are adapted to the local situation and are also environmentally sustainable in terms of soil conservation, coastal protection, and protection of freshwater resources. However, with the rising population pressure, the resources for the expansion of agroforestry are becoming more and more scarce. Therefore, a participatory planning process for the development of community-based land use plans was proposed. It was concluded that sustainable development on small tropical islands can only be achieved by community-based land-use planning. KEYWORDS: TROPAG | Coffea canephora | Cocos nucifera | Myristica fragrans | Eugenia caryophyllus | Metroxylon sagu | land use | planning | social consciousness | rural communities | resource management | sustainability | agroforestry | traditional farming | South East Asia | Indonesia | Maluku