• Aprilia Ambarwati
    Aprilia Ambarwati
    Aprilia Ambarwati is a researcher at AKATIGA Centre for Social Analysis, based in Bandung, Indonesia. She was graduated from Gadjah Mada University, majoring Anthropology. Aprilia’s research interests in rural agricultural, rural-youth employment, and rural agrarian issue. She has also involved in monitoring-evaluation research for national poverty alleviation programs in numerous districts in Indonesia. She is interested in qualitative and mixed-method research and currently working on "Becoming a young farmer: Young people's pathways into farming”, particularly for the Indonesia team. As a contributor to AKATIGA’s journal, she also published on national and international papers.
Papers

Becoming a young farmer: embracing a better opportunity in agricultural sector

2019

Abstraksi

Agriculture is important in Indonesia, not only to provide food for its 255 million population, but also as the country’s single largest source of employment. More than 30% of the total employed labour force (38.2 million people), and 53% of the rural labour force, work in agriculture, far outstripping the two next largest sectors of trade and manufacturing. Particularly in the rural area, more than 40% of young people work in agriculture sector (BPS, 2018). Evidence shows a looming generational problem in Indonesian agriculture in which the average age of farmers has been increasing and also warned about the “regeneration crisis”; the farming population is ageing and large numbers of farmers appear to have no successor. If visions of sustainable agricultural futures are to be realised, and if young people are going to have a place in that future, the problems that young people face in establishing themselves as farmers have to be given more serious attention. As stated in National Medium‐Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2015-2019, youth group who will mature in the next 15 years right alongside SDGs, is an important element in the national development agenda. AKATIGA sees that agriculture sector in the rural area is a very potentially sector for the young people in the future work. It is widely perceived that young people are not interested in farming. Even though we have found this to be the case in many villages, AKATIGA’s study through “Becoming a Young Farmer” has indicated that there are also young people who are interested in farming. However, these young people face some difficulties in realizing their aspirations, such as lack of access to land, lack of knowledge to innovative and profitable ways of farming, and lack of rural infrastructure to create environments in which youth culture and creativity can flourish. The AKATIGA study on young rural farmers was carried out in 5 selected villages in Yogyakarta, Kebumen, and West Manggarai, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to explores the experiences of young rural in agriculture. This study attempt to clarify the barriers which young rural men and women confront in accessing land and other resources, and the role of policies, institutions and young people’s own (individual and collective) efforts in overcoming these barriers. A youth-inclusive agricultural and rural development agenda means first of all, approaching young people not as instruments of development and growth, but as subjects, actors and citizens. Another important requirement to increase opportunities for young people in the farming sector is democratic and rooted institutions that could be used by the young (would-be) farmers to articulate their interest and increase their bargaining position. Support for small-scale agriculture and for opportunities for young rural men and women to engage in farming, should remain a cornerstone of rural youth employment policy. This needs to include provision of land and other agrarian resources to young men and women would-be farmers. This study also found some initiative by rural government to support young people in agriculture sector by providing access to village public land. Currently, as a follow up research to respond the findings on young rural farmers' study, AKATIGA is also conducting Participatory Action Research to facilitate young marginalized groups (female and male) in rural areas who are (potentially) interested in farming access to farming resources and to equip them with knowledge and skills to pave the way to make farming their decent livelihood. Based on previous and on going (follow up) research by AKATIGA, agricultural sector has great potential as a provider of employment for young people but has not been utilized properly. In the tumultuous discussion about industry 4.0, agriculture is considered as 'outdated'. However, agriculture is a very important sector as a food provider which is a human's basic need. By ensuring that farmer regeneration continues, not only provides employment, we also help ensure food availability in the future.

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