In the 1990s, the tourism industry in Bali boomed. Many Balinese became rich during this period. But farmers, the traditional upholders of the Balinese economy, became poorer. Costs of agricultural production and the cost of living went up, and the price of agricultural products, especially rice, rose very little. Farmers turned to other work, usually in tourism-related sectors, to make a living. Farmland was converted to other (usually tourism-related) uses. Young people were more attracted to the glamorous prospects offered by tourism than the hard work, dirty clothes and poor pay of farming.

The bombs in Kuta in October 2002 were not the end of tourism, but they were the beginning of the end of the fantasy, blindly held through the boom-years, that tourism was a sustainable long-term base for the Balinese economy. In the wake of the bomb, some advocated a more diversified and sustainable economic base. Many realised that agriculture had been forgotten – or at least marginalised – and that it should perhaps be reinstated at the centre of Balinese culture and economy. Some policy makers suggested developing ‘agro-industri’ and ‘agri-bisnis’ to compete in the global market.

Alternative voices
Amidst the hubbub of support for large-scale industrialisation of agriculture, there were also smaller voices talking about alternative approaches to agricultural development: returning to traditional crops, locally-based sustainable development, agri- and/or eco-tourism and organic production. Apart from the obvious health and environmental reasons, the logic was that such methods could lower production costs and produce potentially more valuable crops.

Since the second bombing in 2005, tourism numbers have slowly returned to something resembling pre-bomb levels. The memories have faded, the tourism fantasy has gradually reasserted itself, and a real post-tourism economy has yet to take shape. Some seeds of it have been sown though, mostly in the form of enterprises that feed off or into tourism in various ways: a shift from providing tourism facilities to longer-term expatriate and business accommodation, meeting and conference facilities, international hospitals and health centres. The smart operators, the big players, have quietly moved at least some of their investment out of tourism into real estate, or anything less vulnerable than tourism.

Earlier this decade it seemed rice-farming might die out altogether in Bali
At the same time, somewhat less spectacularly, the agriculture sector has begun to transform itself, from the production of rice and subsidiary crops for subsistence, to a growing emphasis on cash crops. While some of the problems of Balinese agriculture have been exacerbated by tourism-driven prosperity and cultural modernisation, tourism has also provided new opportunities for agriculture, including a growing range of niche markets for premium and healthy foods for hotels, restaurants and the expatriate community.

Organic (or at least chemical-free) production has a potential double advantage: reducing the cash production costs for fertilizers and pesticides, plus producing a higher-cost product for this premium market. Several expatriate land-owners began growing organic food for their own families, but also as examples they hoped their neighbouring farmers might follow. Market gardeners in the mountains were quick to see these opportunities and many of them have converted to more or less organic production methods, to lower production costs as well as increasing the value of their crops.

But rice-farmers were not so quick to change. They tended to see all the reasons organic crops might fail, they felt that whole subaks (irrigation cooperatives) needed to change together and were not confident about marketing their produce. Earlier this decade, around 2003, it seemed that rice-farming might have to die out before anything changed. But since then something has changed. Here are three examples:

Growing rice differently

Prana Dewi Resort is a yoga and health retreat on the slopes of Mt. Batu Karu in the southwest of Bali. It was developed on the family land of a local man married to a German woman. They needed to feed their guests and they wanted to provide healthy, chemical-free food with a local flavour. In 1998, they began growing traditional rice varieties and reducing their use of synthetic fertilizers. They now produce at higher levels than previously. Neighbouring farmers have begun following their example and they have now formed a group for joint marketing of their produce. What began as a specialist tourism enterprise has expanded to become a wider movement of agricultural and economic change.

In the next valley is Wangaya Betan, where in 2005, a small group of farmers, guided by an innovative government agricultural scientist, began converting their wastes from rice, chicken, coffee and cocoa production into feed for cattle. They composted the manure to produce organic fertiliser and substituted it progressively for synthetic fertilisers over three planting seasons. They also began using an improved system of seed selection, raising and planting, known as SRI (System of Rice Intensification).
Their yields improved immediately while their production costs reduced dramatically. Since then virtually the whole subak has followed them and neighbouring subaks have begun to change also. They obtained a government grant to establish a training centre and now they are training farmers from elsewhere in Bali and Indonesia.

In Payangan, on the outskirts of the tourism centre of Ubud, two unusual men are introducing organic methods to local farmers. Wayan Kubu is a government agricultural extension officer employed to provide advice and expert knowledge to farmers. He attended permaculture courses run by IDEP, an NGO in Ubud, and was sufficiently impressed that he began telling farmers about them.

Nyoman Sanjaya is the head (pekaseh) of a local subak. He spent many years working in Jakarta and when he returned home he wanted to return also to farming. He bought some land, established a rice-mill, and when he was elected as pekaseh he immediately began mobilising subak members to repair their run-down irrigation system.

The new projects involve post-tourism visions of what economic development can be
When he heard about SRI from Pak Kubu he decided to try it on his own fields. His yield immediately increased from 6 tonnes to 8 tonnes per hectare. As in the other projects, his neighbours began to follow and now one third of the subak are using SRI. Now Pak Sanjaya is beginning to progressively replace his synthetic fertilizer with cow manure and is thinking about returning to traditional varieties.

So things are changing in the ricefields. But these and other similar projects appearing all over Bali are not just about agriculture and even less about tourism – they involve distinctively post-tourism visions of what economic development could be. Some of them sell their produce to the tourism industry, but none of them depend on it. If tourism flourishes again, they will prosper as a result. But none of them is designed for tourism – all of them will work, albeit in different ways, whether tourism flourishes again or not. They hold the promise of a post-tourism agriculture and a healthier, less dependent relationship with tourism.

Graeme MacRae (G.S.Macrae@massey.ac.nz ) teaches Social Anthropology at Massey University Auckland, New Zealand. He has been researching in Bali since 1993 and has published on a wide range of topics. Nowadays he tries to make his research useful by focusing on sustainable development projects. In his spare time he grows organic fruit and vegetables.

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Today, 2/21/09, Balinese celebrate the birthday of the trees. This holiday is called Tumpek Wariga or Tumpek Pengarah. There are a lot some articles in this blog which describe how Balinese express their gratitude to the trees through the celebration of Tumpek Uduh and how this holiday serves as a remainder of the importance of trees for Balinese’s life and also serves as a message for the Balinese to preserve the tree. So this time I will put emphasis on unique mepengarah ritual which is practiced on the celebration of this ceremony.

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Workers in the field
fotografie: Roy Tee

Rice is one of the most important crops on earth. It is daily food for more than half of the world population and more rice is needed every day. On Bali rice is not merely on your plate, it is all around you. In fields, in temples, on foreheads. Rice here is a wealth, the centre of culture.

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Cows are common tool to plough muddy paddy fields in Bali, however these days are getting harder and harder to find this rare activities. Famers prefer to use machine instead.
This picture was taken at Belimbing

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Nearest Villa

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In order to produce an optimum quantity of rice a complete farming tools is necessary. Balinese farmer has a wide selection of farming tool based the activity in the field. For example:
1. Land preparation
Land preparation is first step of rice growing phase; these are the tools which are used for land preparation:
a. Hoe (with one tooth, two teeth, four teeth, and six teeth)
b. Sorok (spade)
c. Tulud (leveler)
d. Penampad (long knife)
e. Tengala (plow)
f. Lampit (leveler pull by bull)

2. Seed plantation
After land preparation was finished, the farmers are ready for seed plantation, various tools they are used are:
a. Arit (sickle)
b. Penyepitan Bulih (seed germ pincher)
c. Tempeh (seed basket)

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The general Balinese philosophy guiding the subak system adheres to the principle of Tri Hita Karana which emphasises that happiness can only be reached if the Creator (God), the people (the farmers) and nature (the rice fields) live in harmony with each other. Based on this philosophy are the ceremonies which are a substantial part of the rice cultivation cycle. The ceremonies are carried out at the various temples which are associated with the subak.

They are organised hierarchically as follow: the simple shrine (chatu) at the individual water inlet, Bedugul temple at the dam or tunnel intersection, Ulun Suwi / Ulun Carik temple at each subak area, penyungsungan subak temple ’sanctuaries which were originally desa temples that one or more subaks helped to worship, after which in the course of time, all the expenses connected with the temple services and offering ceremonials have, gradually fallen to the subak or subaks and Ulun Danu temple, the Baliwide inter-subak temple at the crater lake Batur, the most sacred lake in Bali. For all the temples and other places of worship there are certain times when religious ceremonies are held, either periodically or as occasion demands.

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Subak Museum is definetely one of the most interesting museums in Bali. It is located in Sanggulan village two km east of Tabanan. The Subak Museum houses exhibits on the history and development of Bali’s unique Subak irrigation organization. This is the only museum in Bali to focus on agriculture, provides all information on agricultural life of Bali and all its related aspects.

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Each year on the full moon of the tenth month of Balinese of Caka calendar, when the Ngusaba Kedasa ceremony is held to honor the goddess of the lake. Long before the the date of the ceremony thousands of farmers from all over the island contribute their power and their harvest in the preparation of the ceremony as a sign of their gratitude to the goddess of the lake. On day of the ceremony hundreds of thousands farmers and pilgrims pay homage to the goddess. For the farmers this occasion is not just used to express their gratitude sometimes they request more water from the goddess.

Best view

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Balis diverse landscape lends itself to some excellent trekking opportunities for active travellers. It is always important to wear a pair of sturdy walking shoes and bring along a camera to capture inspiring moments on film. A bottle of mineral water is also necessary to avoid the risk of dehydration along the way.

One route in particular commences in the village of Kestala in East Bali and is a 3-hour journey with some mild hiking involved. From the drop of point trekkers must first wade across the Buhu River where a nearby dam is an important water source for the communal irrigation systems of local rice terraces and farm land.

Venturing up to the dike-track, trekkers will be greeted by a stunning expanse of rice-fields. When weather conditions are favourable there is a clear view of Gunung Agung, the highest and most sacred mountain in Bali. While to the east, Mount Bisbis of Lempuyang rises in the distance.

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On the way back from Mount Batukaru, you took the left turnoff at Wongayagede where the 14 kilometers road leads to my amazing destination in Bali, Jatiluwih.

The process of growing and harvesting rice is just one fragment of the unique Balinese culture that is guarded by the Goddess Dewi Sri. It is a culture that signifies a customary way of life where rice and all of its stages of process is a powerful driving force behind all form of activity within the community. Food, medicine, art, hope and the ideologies that exist within the village are all directly related to the rice field. The Goddess Dewi Sri symbolizes fertility and prosperity as well as the cycle of human life. The practice of planting rice, maintaining the crop and harvesting is a definite parallel to the full circle of life from birth until death. In Bali there is a real relationship between man and the environment, which follows the Hindu philosophy of maintaining a harmonious balance between all living things to appease the Gods as well as unseen entities.

Jatiluwih was recently listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its preservation of traditional Balinese farming techniques. A day trip is highly recommended as it enables visitors to observe the realities of rural Bali. The opportunity to wander through the fields and watch the birds as they attempt to pilfer rice grains from immature stalks is an enriching experience. Another interesting aspect is the organized irrigation system where farmers share water in a tradition that dates back centuries and has united generations of farmers in their common need for this highly valued resource.

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