Collective Land Governance as a Fortress of Farmers' Agrarian Sovereignty AMANAT

Farmers Association AMANAT, or Aliansi Masyarakat Nanggung Transformatif, is a farmer organization that represents farmers in Nanggung District, Bogor Regency, West Java. This community has been fighting for more than a decade to regain rights to land that has been cultivated since 2013, namely former HGU land for companies and mines covering an area of ​​244 hectares.

The land has long been a source of livelihood and living space for farmers. AMANAT, as a settlement, educational facility, culture, cemetery, to village facility. However, the status of land ownership is still uncertain, creating vulnerability for the community.

Farmers Association AMANAT with the support of Nusantara Fund Direct Funding initiated a program to strengthen the movement through collective governance oriented towards increasing productivity with an ecological perspective. This land governance, in addition to being a stimulant for improving farmer welfare, is also a tool for uniting farmers in the genuine agrarian reform movement.

Program run by the Farmers Association AMANAT began with collective management of corn fields in three land blocks: Pasir Kolecer, Pasir Hulukebo, and Langkob Kaler. After these areas were selected and prepared as production land, the farmers together prepared a total of 4,5 hectares of land (1,5 hectares each in 3 land blocks) to grow sweet corn organically. Each land block is managed together by dozens of its members, one example is the Pasir Kolecer block in Dukuh Kawung Village which is managed by 90 members.

The organic planting pattern in harmony with nature was deliberately chosen because it is not only environmentally friendly, but also more sustainable in the long term. In its implementation, farmers learn from each other how to manage land without relying on chemicals, so that the soil can remain fertile and maintain the ecosystem. Every stage from seeding, planting, to plant care is carried out communally by community members.

After the first harvest of organic corn, the focus of activities shifted to post-harvest distribution. Most of the harvest was sold to local markets, providing direct economic impact to farmers, while some was set aside for seeds to be distributed to other fields.

In addition to production and post-harvest activities, the program also includes training to improve the capacity of farmers in various aspects. They receive training for collective agricultural management and assistance in effective cultivation techniques in organic methods. Through training, farmers gain new knowledge to maximize agricultural yields, improve product quality, and understand how to protect existing land and natural resources. The training is an integral part of efforts to improve farmers' sovereignty and ability to manage their agricultural land.

Producing around 18 tons of sweet corn in the first harvest, farmers began to feel that more structured and effective collective land management could be expanded in its implementation. Target of the Farmers Association AMANThe next AT is to be able to build a system that allows program funds to be rolled over to other blocks so that benefits can reach all members of the Farmers Association. AMANAT, covering 1.460 heads of families.

By managing the land communally in the management of organic sweet corn farming, farmers AMANAT actively maintains ecological balance and reduces dependence on environmentally harmful land exploitation practices. This collective-based land management, in addition to increasing farmers' economic sovereignty, also functions as a form of ecological protection to maintain environmental balance. This model has the potential to inspire other farming communities in fighting for land rights and encouraging agrarian justice through strengthening sustainable land management.