ORGANIC FARMING AS AN OPTION FOR A BETTER SUSTAINABLE FARMING SYSTEM IN INDONESIA: OPPORTUNITIES AND PROBLEMS

By: Ikhsan Hasibuan¹, Silvia Erimasita¹, and Danner Sagala²

¹Master of Organic Agriculture WUR, The Netherlands,

²Fak. Pertanian Univ. Hazairin Bengkulu, Indonesia.

ABSTRACT

The use of artificial fertilizer and pesticides had increased agricultural production significantly especially in the late of 1970s till 1980s. But this good condition can not survive for a longer period; therefore it became interrupted and even decreased according to time. This happened related to the decrease of soil fertility and ecological destruction because of unwise chemical usage. It can say that conventional farming system had already failed to feed people sustainability.

Organic farming gives a better solution to solve these problems. This system aimed to enhance, emulate and sustain environment to be more suitable for living things by using no chemicals. It is also aimed to increase sustainable of soil fertility, farmer’s economy, and produced health foods by using in-farm input as much as possible. The successful of organic farming system cannot be separated from the principles of health, ecology, fairness and care.

Some opportunities for application of organic system in Indonesia are increasing of consumer awareness to consume healthier food which aimed to keep the body health. Farmers become more independent to manage their farms since the minimizing of out-farm input and moreover can get higher income. Next, exporting agricultural product conditioned not only about the standard of product itself but also very related to the environmental effects according to its producing process.

On the other hand, some problems could influence to limiting the organic farming developments that are mostly related to the lack of knowledge and understanding about this farming system by government as well as farmers. The economy of consumers also influenced the development of this system. The hesitating of organic successful are due to the inability to solve agricultural practical problems for example pests, diseases and weeds.

This paper aimed to discuss the opportunity of organic farming system application in Indonesia and find some alternative solutions that can be used to accelerate its development. Some appropriate data will use for comparing between conventional and organic farming system that lead to best solutions possibly.

Keywords: organic farming, sustainable, opportunities and problems.