The Role of Agroforestry to Improve Farming System Sustainability in Upper Brantas Watershed

Abstract

The upper Brantas Watershed area must be conserved, especially for ecological function. On the other hand, the farmers need income to support their livelihoods. So that, the farmers prefer cultivating vegetables in highlands and on land with slopes more than 30 degrees. It will make the agricultural systems tend to be unsustainable in the long run so that it can affect the ecological function of the watershed. This research aimed to analyze the effect of agroforestry techniques on farming sustainability in the upper Brantas Watershed. The location was determined purposively in a farming system with and without an agroforestry system in Batu City. This study uses quantitative and qualitative approaches with survey techniques by field observation and interviews with the farmers and relevant stakeholders. The results showed that the application of conservation farming with the concept of agroforestry will support the farming system's sustainability, especially on the ecological aspect.