Bina Desa, an AsiaDHRRA network in Indonesia, recently organized a training on natural farming at the Natural Farming Learning House on May 22- 24, 2024, in Ciasihan, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia. Thirty-three farmers from nine provinces attended the workshop. Natural farming is an agricultural value and system that responds to the damages caused by conventional farming and strengthens farmers’ adaptation and mitigation to climate change.

Bine Desa values the importance of prioritizing local knowledge or wisdom and self-reliance as it introduces natural farming to women and men farmers. Maritsa Zuchrufa, a Bina Desa staff member, underlines that natural farming is not just an agricultural practice but a value and system that emphasizes the relationship between humans and nature. She said that if natural farming is adapted, farmers can become agriculturally self-reliant and resilient.

Participants shared their experiences during the training.  Yobi, a farmer from Mamasa, West Sulawesi, spoke about the need for his village to address relating to the ecosystem damages brought by the conventional farming system.  He appreciates Bina Desa inviting him to the training and sharing the knowledge he needs to support his home community.  Another participant from West Sumatra, Ellia Fitri, has been practicing natural farming since 2014.  She mentioned that influencing other farmers to adopt natural farming is never easy, but she keeps trying to restore her village’s agroecosystem.  In addition, she affirms the importance of natural farming for nature and supports farmers’ farming costs as they can provide inputs from local materials.

Photo Credit: DAAI TV Indonesia
Video link Source: HERE
Content translation: Affan Firmansyah