Current status of taro (Colocasia esculenta) utilization as local food diversification toward climate resilience in Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Indonesia is a tropical country that experiences the impact of climate change. The utilization of taro as an amphibian crop might sustain the food availability for the most vulnerable farmers against the negative impact of climate change. The study aims to evaluate the current status of taro utilization and production as local food concerning food diversification, sustainable agriculture, and climate change issues. Data were obtained from a focus group discussion with primary stakeholders of the taro value chain and literature review. Results show that taro is an important secondary food in some regions with three main uses as local consumption, local trading, and export. Prominent taro consumers existed in West Papua, Papua, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi Provinces with consumption rates 10.6, 5.3, 2.2, and 2.0 kg/capita/year, respectively. Taro was intensively cultivated in Banten, West Java, and South Sulawesi provinces, for fresh and processed products. The respondents agree with taro as a prospective adaptive crop to climate change of both drought and excess precipitation. There are some issues in the biodiversity conservation, crop improvement, link-match industry, and stakeholder capacity building for competitive, quality, quantity, and sustainable production, as future works in the taro value chain in Indonesia.