Infrastructure development and food security in Indonesia: The impact of the trans-Java toll road on rice paddy farmers' desire to sell farmland

Abstract

This paper addresses the implications of infrastructure development for regional food security. The development of the Trans-Java toll road threatens food security in Indonesia, especially in the northern part of Java, the largest producer of rice paddy in the country. This development can raise land prices near the toll road, particularly near the toll gates, which tends to encourage farmers to sell their farmland. Thus, farmland will likely be converted to non-agricultural uses. The farmers' decisions have a major influence on food security, related not only to a decline in productive agricultural land area but also related to the ability of the region to supply rice to other parts of the country. This research analyzed the characteristics of rice paddy farmers who desire to sell their farmland. Using the Mann-Whitney U test statistical technique this research focused on Gantar District, the highest paddy producing district in Indramayu Regency, which is passed by the Trans-Java toll road. The respondents were farmers who were members of farmers' groups in the area; the sample was selected using random cluster sampling. The results show that farmers who desire to sell their farmland are those who can get a high price for their farmland, have low income, and are less active in farmers' groups. From these results, we suggest that the government should more actively implement programs to make farmers' groups more attractive in order to ensure that the members will be more active, thereby facilitating the promotion of the importance of food security in Indonesia.