Huma rice management model and food security system of Baduy indigenous communities, Indonesia

Abstract

Huma rice, or upland rice, is the primary food source for the Baduy indigenous community. Huma rice management follows traditional practices, from seed selection, location and planting processes to yield management. The process is managed without modern technology because it is customarily prohibited. It is managed based on local wisdom and survives as a community food reserve pattern. This article aims to analyse the management of huma rice by the Baduy community, both to meet food reserves and traditional ceremonies. The research locus was the Inner Baduy community. The analysis combined primary data and a literature review. The results of the analysis show that the huma rice management pattern uses simple inputs, technology, and an institutional system rooted in local wisdom and traditional values. The quality of grain/rice in leuit can last for decades and guarantee food availability for the Baduy traditional community. This approach has been proven to be a sustainable and long-lasting food management system. Local/regional food governance mechanisms have demonstrated their ability to support national food security, even though they face increasingly limited huma land and its fertility levels. Legality and legal force over customary territories are urgently needed through local and national government policies.