Observer: National Strategic Food Estate Project Must Involve More Local Residents

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Agrarian observer Iwan Nurdin from the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria) has stated that the National Strategic Project (PSN) food estate must involve more local residents to minimise agrarian conflict. “We can see that the entire series of conflicts is not due to poor supervision,” Iwan said when contacted in Jakarta on Monday. According to him, security oversight of the PSN food estate is adequate, but the most crucial aspect is involving local residents in working on the project. Iwan noted that the PSN Food Estate will inevitably intersect with local or customary communities, given that its locations often fall within customary lands protected by law. Therefore, he continued, the project must be accompanied by greater involvement of local residents rather than relying on large corporations, as this will certainly trigger agrarian conflict. “From that, we can see that the entire series of conflicts is not due to poor supervision. It is a project design that will indeed generate strong agrarian conflict on the ground,” he stated. From an economic perspective, Iwan said the government also needs to review how the PSN food estate can truly become a pillar of national food security. He cited the example of rice farming food estates, where the government must also consider the existing ecosystem, because if everything is brought in from Java, the economic value will be lacking. “Economically, this project actually requires a production chain that must be prepared from the outset. For example, the establishment of fertiliser factories and seed breeding centres, as well as a broader supply chain,” he added.