Baruga Tani, ARAS, and Women's Collective Enterprises: The Node of Hope of the South Sulawesi Farmers' Union (PPSS)

The South Sulawesi Farmers Association (PPSS) is strengthening farmer organizations across the region—East Luwu, Pinrang, Sinjai, and Gowa—through a series of mutually reinforcing projects: the construction of Baruga Tani as a learning and consolidation space, training for True Agrarian Reform Academy (ARAS) cadres, training in nature-harmonious agriculture, and pioneering women's collective businesses. These initiatives are designed to act as driving forces: one project drives another, driving the organization's wheels while strengthening farmers' resilience amidst agrarian conflict and economic pressures.

In East Luwu and Pinrang, agrarian conflicts have persisted for decades. In Kasintuwu and Teromu villages, East Luwu, the issuance of a company's HGU (land use permit) in 1987 displaced residents' cocoa plantations, demolished homes and religious facilities, and left trauma as a result of repressive actions. To this day, the company still controls the land through HGU extensions. Meanwhile, in Watang Kassa village, Pinrang, forest area claims over 687 hectares of hereditary land have ensnared 183 families. The criminalization of 18 farmers between 1987 and 2015 has left residents fearful, even as the need for livelihood forces them to return to cultivating the land.

In this situation, consolidation becomes an urgent need. KPA South Sulawesi, along with the PPSS, is promoting advocacy through the Priority Locations for Agrarian Reform (LPRA), but the lack of a permanent space means meetings are frequently moved. The construction of a Baruga Tani (a small village) is an initial response. In Teromu, PPSS members provided a 30 x 20 meter plot of land and built a two-story Baruga Tani (8 x 12 meters) in Bugis-Makassar architecture in the heart of the conflict zone. With mutual cooperation, materials from members' gardens, clean water support, and solar panels, the Baruga has reached approximately 70% completion and is targeted for completion in June 2025. In Watang Kassa, a Baruga Tani stands in Padang Loang Hamlet, involving 28 people in its construction, with the building framework already in place. These Baruga Tani are expected to become "people's schools": spaces for re-examining the history of land grabbing, learning about agrarian rights, and fostering critical awareness among farmers.

Organizational strengthening continued through youth cadre training. In early May 2025, ARAS was held at Baruga Tani Sawerigading, Mantadulu, East Luwu, to address the issue of regeneration. Fifteen participants—mostly women—from four villages participated in the training designed by the organization. KPA South Sulawesi, in accordance with the field context. Through participatory methods, discussions, and simulations, participants deepened their understanding of genuine agrarian reform, sovereignty over land, water, and seeds, and the role of farmer organizations in rural social transformation. The results were not only increased knowledge but also fostered the courage to speak out and the formation of a cross-village network of young cadres as a liaison for the PPSS's future activities.

In Sinjai, change is being driven by production practices. A training on nature-harmonious agriculture, held on May 15–16, 2025, at Baruga Tani Samboangia, Bonto Salama Village, addressed farmers' dependence on expensive and risky chemical inputs. Thirty participants learned about plant nutrition and formulated NPK Ca fertilizer using local ingredients—from bamboo shoots to eggshells. Four pilot plots were then established: a rice paddy field, youth horticulture, women's gardens, and the PPSS collective plot. These plots serve as living laboratories for testing, evaluating, and disseminating more sustainable agricultural practices.

Meanwhile, in Gowa, economic empowerment and alternative funding for organizations are growing from the women's kitchens. In Batulapisi Dalam, Malino, a group of young female farmers formed a collective culinary business in February 2025, capitalizing on the momentum of the "Beautiful Malino" tourism campaign. With two flagship products—fried banana nuggets and French fries—they fill a gap in the local market. Women are at the center of decision-making, from planning to sales strategy, marking a shift from a domestic role to a central role in the organization's agenda.

This entire series demonstrates one thing: strengthening farmer organizations does not rely on a single effort. Baruga Tani provides space, ARAS prepares cadres, nature-in-tune farming transforms practices, and women's collective efforts support the organization's economy and independence. One node drives another—weaving together hopes for agrarian reform and farmer sovereignty in South Sulawesi.