Collective Efforts to Realize Agrarian Justice and Food Security

The Basigaro Community is a community founded by the people of Samo Village, South Halmahera, North Maluku. The majority of the members of the Basigaro Community work as farmers and fishermen. The topography of the Samo Village area varies, from flat to mountainous areas, and is surrounded by forests and river basins (DAS). The agricultural system practiced in Samo Village is still traditional and depends on the season. In a year, the community can plant rice twice, and each harvest can produce 2 to 3 tons of grain.

The forest in Samo Village used to be very dense. However, for decades, the forest has been damaged by large-scale exploitation activities. The problem does not stop there. The people of Samo Village also do not have information regarding the boundaries of their land. The absence of boundary information is very prone to causing conflict, especially in cases of land grabbing by outsiders.

Therefore, with funding support from the Nusantara Fund, the Basigaro Community proposed an initiative that supports strengthening land legality and agricultural practices. There are three initiatives proposed by the Basigaro Community, namely: participatory mapping training, development of community education centers, and procurement of agricultural facilities. In the implementation of the program, there is one initiative that was not achieved, namely the development of community education centers.

Participatory mapping training was held on 26–28 February 2024 at the Samo Village Office Hall. There were 20 participants in the training. This training was intended to provide the community with an understanding of territorial boundaries, so that they have a legal basis for land when facing conflict. In addition, participatory mapping also aims to identify potential in each region. The results of this training include land maps and village history. The area that was successfully mapped was 7.923,19 hectares.

Meanwhile, for the procurement of agricultural facilities, the Basigaro Community utilized funding from the Nusantara Fund to purchase a mini hand tractor that can be used collectively and managed directly by the community. The Basigaro Community also provides other agricultural facilities that support the agricultural activities of residents.

The funding program for the Basigaro Community provides direct benefits to 679 community members. However, considering the indirect impacts, especially through learning from the success of the Basigaro Community in mapping areas and agriculture to other communities around it, this program is estimated to be able to impact more than 10.000 people living in the West Gane District, South Halmahera.