Strategy to accelerate the implementation of sustainable food agricultural land protection regulations

Indonesian Center for Agricultural Socio-Economic and Policy Studies, Ministry of Agriculture, Bogor, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: rozi.psekp@gmail.com

Abstract

Sustainable food agricultural land (especially paddy fields) is an important issue because it affects national food self-sufficiency, security, and sovereignty. The government has issued Law No. 41/2009 on sustainable food agricultural land (LP2B) to protect agricultural land and control the rate of land conversion. The main problem is its ineffective implementation. This paper aims to analyse the problem of ineffective implementation of Law No. 41/2009. The study was conducted in January-July 2023 in West Java and Lampung Provinces using primary and secondary data. The methods of analysis used were qualitative and descriptive. The results showed that local governments are not entirely concerned about protecting agricultural land (especially paddy fields). Regional leaders’ weak commitment to protecting food agricultural land has made the program a much lesser priority. Coordination across sectors has not been effective. Based on these empirical facts, the strategy to accelerate the implementation of Law No. 41/2009 is to encourage regional leaders’ commitment to prioritise LP2B protection programs. Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture can intervene by providing stimulus funds of assistance to accelerate the issuance of Regional Regulations on LP2B, especially in areas that have not yet issued LP2B regional regulations.