“Indigenous communities have the knowledge to manage natural resources both at sea and on land,” says Arif Satria, Chancellor of the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), adding that these traditional food systems are “environmentally friendly, easily adaptable to weather changes and have high nutritional value.”
From 29-30 May 2024, the Samdhana Institute took part in a national workshop entitled ‘Youth Food Systems Dialogue and Movement 2024: Promoting Local Knowledge for Sustainable Food Systems in Indonesia’. Hosted at IPB University in Bogor, the event was part of a programme that aims to revive local, sustainable food systems in Indonesia, with particular focus on passing traditional wisdom down to the next generation.
On 12 September 2023, Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) officially designated eight customary forests in Aceh, Sumatra. This included three in Pidie Regency, namely Mukim Beungga, Mukim Kunyet and Mukim Paloh. One of the institutions that played an integral role behind the success of the Aceh Customary Forest Decree determination process was the Aceh Indigenous Community Network (Jaringan Komunitas Masyarakat Adat Aceh or JKMA Aceh).
Mariana Tuto Demon, more known to her peers as Ria, strives to protect the cultural heritage passed down by her ancestors, and protect the environment through the promotion of their community’s traditions on weaving.
In 2023, the Samdhana team in Mekong worked with the Che Su Mo Women Group in Huay Eh Khang village in Mae Win, a sub-district of Mae Wang in Chiangmai, Thailand. They had sought Samdhana’s support to improve their branding and marketing capacity for their woven products.
A number of farmers in two villages of Baungon town in Bukidnon – Lingating and Liboran – are now shifting from individual to collective farming, using techniques on integrated farming systems that they have learned through training supported by Samdhana Institute.
From 5-7 March 2024, the Samdhana Institute celebrated International Women's Day during an event organised by the Parara Consortium in Kemang, Jakarta. Here, a number of remarkable women from around Indonesia shared their experiences, stories of struggle and solidarity, in which traditional knowledge is helping tackle the issue of climate change.
In prayer for a bountiful cropping season, “Semeyaan” is a yearly cultural practice and tradition of the Menuvu Kirinteken-Ilentungen. This year, we in Samdhana Institute, were fortunate to participate in the three-days gathering in Sezukadang community in CADT 206 in Southern Bukidnon.
A very important annual ritual, the community especially prepares for it in advance. Even some of the children set aside a hen to contribute to the offering.
“It’s better if you plant your own food instead of buying produce from the market that are grown with (harmful) chemicals,” shared Edelyn of Barangay Sta. Ana in Calatagan, Batangas. She, together with other community members, underwent training sessions on natural farming methods and related topics under Seeding Futures, a transformational development program that encourages the participants’ ability to imagine and create a better future for one’s self, family, and community.
