The meaning of a piece of land
Uma Khumairoh
As a tropical country, Indonesia has a high biodiversity of both flora and fauna. It can be seen not only from the wild natural resources but also from home gardens. The Indonesian’s typical home garden is called pekarangan. Pekarangan is an area that is located at the back, front, side or around the house. Pekarangan has fundamental functions not only for aesthetic, but also for social life, ecological, cultural and food secure. However, some factors such as population and industrialization have changed the design, composition of pekarangan that also influenced on its function.
As a traditional agro-ecosystem, pekarangan has existed for a long time. According to Terra, pekarangan has existed in Java since 80 A.D., but it probably originates from more than 10,000 years ago. Terra states that the center of origin of pekarangan is Central Java. He says that pekarangan is primarily managed by women; therefore it is well developed in some areas of matriarchal society like West and North Sumatra and Aceh, but not in Batak where there is a patriarchal society (qtd. in Sumarwoto and Conway, 1992).
The pekarangan design is a mimic of a forest design; therefore the pekarangan design is almost similar to a forest design (Cristanty et al, 1986). The original design of pekarangan is composed by four layers. Layers show the level plant needs the sunlight. First layer is composed by shade-loving plants. Shade-loving plants are plants that require sunlight in a very small amount. Those plant types include tubers families such as taro, zingiberaceae families such as ginger, and Pteridophyta such as fern. The second layer is composed by plants with height between 2 - 5 meters such as cassava, bananas, cacao and coffees. The third layer consists of plants with height between 5 - 10 meters, generally fruit plants such as manggo and rambutan. The last layer is a sun-loving plant with height more than 10 meters such as coconut and wood trees.
Similar to forest, besides consist of varied plants, the original pekarangan also has animal composition. The animal composition includes livestock such as chicken, cow, goat, even wild animal. Livestock is raised traditionally, especially chicken. They are released freely in the pekarangan to looking for their food by themselves. However, pekarangan also provide specific feed for the livestock that ordinary is planted as a hedge. The other composition of pekarangan is fish pond. Besides for food supply purposes, fish pond also has function as water supply. The high biodiversity in pekarangan system has formed a closed web food chain. Each component in the original pekarangan has a mutual relationship; therefore, it becomes a stable ecosystem.
Pekarangan has many functions. Firstly, pekarangan has function in maintaining environment. The layers in pekarangan design show that it has a high biodiversity. Pekarangan gives opportunity for many types of plants to grow in accordance with their environment. The leveling of plant composition also has function to avoid erosion and soil nutrient leaching, so the structural, biological, physical and chemical of soil are conserved. The high number of hard trees contributes in absorbing carbon-dioxide to reduce glass-house effects. It also provides a cozy environment for other lives such as bird and wild animal.
Secondly, pekarangan has function in maintaining food family security. The diversification of composition in pekarangan produces many types of food. Tubers and zingiberaceae produce staple food. Herbs and medicinal plants provide food flavor and remedy for family. Tree leaves such as Gnetum gnemon leaves and cassava leaves provide vegetable. Coconut and legume provide protein and vegetables fat. Fruit also provide a wide range of vitamins. Moreover, the existence of livestock and fish in pekarangan, give high protein and fat supply for family. Thus, the higher biodiversity in pekarangan the higher food diversification and the higher variety of nutrient can be provided by pekarangan.
Thirdly, pekarangan has function in maintaining socio-cultural life. The difference of composition between pekarangan in each household became a sharing media for community. In the past, there is a habit to share food at the time of harvest in which neighbors are priority to share. Diversified of food production in pekarangan can be seen from the roles of food in traditional ceremonies. For example in the ceremony of wedding and seven-month pregnancy, normally a family provides at least seven types of polo pendem (underground food). Each underground has specific symbol for example sweet potato (telo in Java : netheli barang sing olo = remove bad things), cassava (kaspe in java : karepe sepi ing pamrih = selfless and sincere) etc (fiz-online, 2008).
Along with development of industrialization and population, human made changes in pekarangan. High population has decreased pekarangan size by converting this area to housing. Therefore some houses only have a narrow space. These narrow spaces are less productive than pekarangan, therefore they are often neglected. However, industrialization such as conventional agricultural is more influence the changes of design, composition and functions of pekarangan.
Conventional agriculture is an agriculture system focused on boosting the production of one type of plants in the same area. For this reason, people remove another type of plants in order the main plant get the same amount of sunlight, water and nutrition for their optimal growth. Removing plants from pekarangan means reduce the composition of pekarangan. There is no high biodiversity anymore. Pekarangan become mango garden, banana garden, or groundnut garden. Therefore, the structure and design of pekarangan changed. It becomes flat without leveling of varied plants. Eventually, changing of design and composition of pekarangan also influences food composition, consumption pattern and socio-culture of community.
Changing of pekarangan’s composition has also changed food family composition and consumption pattern. The high biodiversity of pekarangan enables families to harvest more than one type of food. They used to eat varied food with varied nutrition. When pekarangan changed to monoculture, it just produces one type of food for family. Moreover, in order to it just produces one type of food and need to be harvested on the same time, it tend to be commercial commodity instead of supplied food for family. In addition, the pattern of family consumption also changed by changing of pekarangan composition. The lack of pekarangan production led family to buy food than produce it by themselves. Rice, which is produced missal become popular. Consequently, the pattern of consumption changes from cassava, sweet potato or corn in the breakfast or dinner time becomes all rice three times a day.
Food is much related to socio-cultural of Indonesian. Food has connected people in the community. The changing of pekarangan as food production resources has also changed community communication. The disappearing of food sharing by changing of pekarangan composition has decreased communication frequency between communities. Community become less aware each other and become individualistic. In addition, it has also influenced on some culture disappearing especially related to food. For example some ceremonies didn’t apply again because of difficulty to find local food that provided in the original pekarangan composition.
Thus, pekarangan has held important roles in Indonesian lives especially for rural community. The changes of pekarangan have brought changes on its main functions to conserve environment, supply food and nutrition for family, and connect people in community socially and culturally. Finally, conserving pekarangan means conserving Indonesian rural lives for the next generation.
Uma Khumairoh
As a tropical country, Indonesia has a high biodiversity of both flora and fauna. It can be seen not only from the wild natural resources but also from home gardens. The Indonesian’s typical home garden is called pekarangan. Pekarangan is an area that is located at the back, front, side or around the house. Pekarangan has fundamental functions not only for aesthetic, but also for social life, ecological, cultural and food secure. However, some factors such as population and industrialization have changed the design, composition of pekarangan that also influenced on its function.
As a traditional agro-ecosystem, pekarangan has existed for a long time. According to Terra, pekarangan has existed in Java since 80 A.D., but it probably originates from more than 10,000 years ago. Terra states that the center of origin of pekarangan is Central Java. He says that pekarangan is primarily managed by women; therefore it is well developed in some areas of matriarchal society like West and North Sumatra and Aceh, but not in Batak where there is a patriarchal society (qtd. in Sumarwoto and Conway, 1992).
The pekarangan design is a mimic of a forest design; therefore the pekarangan design is almost similar to a forest design (Cristanty et al, 1986). The original design of pekarangan is composed by four layers. Layers show the level plant needs the sunlight. First layer is composed by shade-loving plants. Shade-loving plants are plants that require sunlight in a very small amount. Those plant types include tubers families such as taro, zingiberaceae families such as ginger, and Pteridophyta such as fern. The second layer is composed by plants with height between 2 - 5 meters such as cassava, bananas, cacao and coffees. The third layer consists of plants with height between 5 - 10 meters, generally fruit plants such as manggo and rambutan. The last layer is a sun-loving plant with height more than 10 meters such as coconut and wood trees.
Similar to forest, besides consist of varied plants, the original pekarangan also has animal composition. The animal composition includes livestock such as chicken, cow, goat, even wild animal. Livestock is raised traditionally, especially chicken. They are released freely in the pekarangan to looking for their food by themselves. However, pekarangan also provide specific feed for the livestock that ordinary is planted as a hedge. The other composition of pekarangan is fish pond. Besides for food supply purposes, fish pond also has function as water supply. The high biodiversity in pekarangan system has formed a closed web food chain. Each component in the original pekarangan has a mutual relationship; therefore, it becomes a stable ecosystem.
Pekarangan has many functions. Firstly, pekarangan has function in maintaining environment. The layers in pekarangan design show that it has a high biodiversity. Pekarangan gives opportunity for many types of plants to grow in accordance with their environment. The leveling of plant composition also has function to avoid erosion and soil nutrient leaching, so the structural, biological, physical and chemical of soil are conserved. The high number of hard trees contributes in absorbing carbon-dioxide to reduce glass-house effects. It also provides a cozy environment for other lives such as bird and wild animal.
Secondly, pekarangan has function in maintaining food family security. The diversification of composition in pekarangan produces many types of food. Tubers and zingiberaceae produce staple food. Herbs and medicinal plants provide food flavor and remedy for family. Tree leaves such as Gnetum gnemon leaves and cassava leaves provide vegetable. Coconut and legume provide protein and vegetables fat. Fruit also provide a wide range of vitamins. Moreover, the existence of livestock and fish in pekarangan, give high protein and fat supply for family. Thus, the higher biodiversity in pekarangan the higher food diversification and the higher variety of nutrient can be provided by pekarangan.
Thirdly, pekarangan has function in maintaining socio-cultural life. The difference of composition between pekarangan in each household became a sharing media for community. In the past, there is a habit to share food at the time of harvest in which neighbors are priority to share. Diversified of food production in pekarangan can be seen from the roles of food in traditional ceremonies. For example in the ceremony of wedding and seven-month pregnancy, normally a family provides at least seven types of polo pendem (underground food). Each underground has specific symbol for example sweet potato (telo in Java : netheli barang sing olo = remove bad things), cassava (kaspe in java : karepe sepi ing pamrih = selfless and sincere) etc (fiz-online, 2008).
Along with development of industrialization and population, human made changes in pekarangan. High population has decreased pekarangan size by converting this area to housing. Therefore some houses only have a narrow space. These narrow spaces are less productive than pekarangan, therefore they are often neglected. However, industrialization such as conventional agricultural is more influence the changes of design, composition and functions of pekarangan.
Conventional agriculture is an agriculture system focused on boosting the production of one type of plants in the same area. For this reason, people remove another type of plants in order the main plant get the same amount of sunlight, water and nutrition for their optimal growth. Removing plants from pekarangan means reduce the composition of pekarangan. There is no high biodiversity anymore. Pekarangan become mango garden, banana garden, or groundnut garden. Therefore, the structure and design of pekarangan changed. It becomes flat without leveling of varied plants. Eventually, changing of design and composition of pekarangan also influences food composition, consumption pattern and socio-culture of community.
Changing of pekarangan’s composition has also changed food family composition and consumption pattern. The high biodiversity of pekarangan enables families to harvest more than one type of food. They used to eat varied food with varied nutrition. When pekarangan changed to monoculture, it just produces one type of food for family. Moreover, in order to it just produces one type of food and need to be harvested on the same time, it tend to be commercial commodity instead of supplied food for family. In addition, the pattern of family consumption also changed by changing of pekarangan composition. The lack of pekarangan production led family to buy food than produce it by themselves. Rice, which is produced missal become popular. Consequently, the pattern of consumption changes from cassava, sweet potato or corn in the breakfast or dinner time becomes all rice three times a day.
Food is much related to socio-cultural of Indonesian. Food has connected people in the community. The changing of pekarangan as food production resources has also changed community communication. The disappearing of food sharing by changing of pekarangan composition has decreased communication frequency between communities. Community become less aware each other and become individualistic. In addition, it has also influenced on some culture disappearing especially related to food. For example some ceremonies didn’t apply again because of difficulty to find local food that provided in the original pekarangan composition.
Thus, pekarangan has held important roles in Indonesian lives especially for rural community. The changes of pekarangan have brought changes on its main functions to conserve environment, supply food and nutrition for family, and connect people in community socially and culturally. Finally, conserving pekarangan means conserving Indonesian rural lives for the next generation.
Bibliography
Fiz-online. (2008, August 17). http://fiz-online.blogspot.com/2008/08/polo-pendem.html. Retrieved July 4, 2009
Linda christanty, Oekan S. Abdullah, Gerald G. Marten, Johan Iskandar. (1986). Traditional Agrosystem in West Java: the Pekarangan (Home Garden) and Kebun talun (Annual-perennial Rotation) Cropping system. westview , 132-158.
Terra. (1953). (O. Sumarwoto, & G. Conway, Eds.) Journal for Farming Research , 3 (1992), 95-118.
