Corny Landscapes: Strategi Adaptasi Petani Gorontalo dalam Menghadapi Kebijakan Agropolitan Jagung

Authors

Vaisnava Vidia Mahatma, Department of Anthropology Universitas IndonesiaFollow

Abstract

The corn agropolitan policy implemented in Gorontalo in the early 2000s brought significant changes to the lives of local farmers. This paper explores the impact of the policy on the social and economic aspects of farmers' lives. The most notable change is the shift from subsistence practices to market-oriented production, creating what Eric Wolf describes as the peasant dilemma. Furthermore, the policy has triggered the emergence of middlemen and private actors who exploit the agricultural sector, trapping farmers in persistent poverty and precarious working conditions. This study employs qualitative methods with an ethnographic approach, including direct observation and interviews conducted in five villages across Gorontalo. The findings reveal that while the agropolitan policy has successfully crafted a positive narrative of development, it often obscures the realities faced by farmers. Instead of improving their lives, the policy exacerbates economic inequality, fosters the misuse of political and economic power, damages the environment, and erodes local knowledge. This paper also highlights various adaptation strategies employed by farmers to address these challenges, such as resisting dominant actors, seeking alternative livelihoods, and reviving traditions as a form of catharsis for the difficulties they endure.

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Recommended Citation

Mahatma, Vaisnava Vidia (2025) "Corny Landscapes: Strategi Adaptasi Petani Gorontalo dalam Menghadapi Kebijakan Agropolitan Jagung," Antropologi Indonesia: Vol. 45: Iss. 1, Article 5.
DOI: 10.7454/jai.v45i1.1204
Available at: https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/jai/vol45/iss1/5