Analysis of area typology and stakeholders’ interaction in the sustainable food agricultural land (SFAL) policy implementation

Abstract

Abstract The sustainable food agriculture land (SFAL) policy has been considered too difficult to be implemented at the local government level. This policy is ignored by the pressure on space requirements for profits to pursue higher local own-source revenue. There have been numerous previous qualitative studies on this policy implementation, yet little is known about the interaction of stakeholders who play a role in implementing this policy. We selected the East Java Province as the case study because it has the most extensive rice fields among other provinces, and its’ rice productivity level is above the national average. This paper aims to map the area’s potential for SFAL implementation and identify the interaction among the stakeholders behind the policy implementation using Mactor analysis. The analysis of area typology divides five regional types based on their ability to provide SFAL, and the municipalities tend to have less potential for SFAL implementation. The stakeholders’ interaction analysis results show the most substantial convergent interaction between farmers and Agricultural Office in both sample locations. In contrast, farmers established the most substantial divergent interaction with local leaders in Jember Regency, farmers with housing developers, and farmers with Regional Revenue Office in Lamongan Regency. The local leader in both locations shows the highest index of ambivalent stakeholders. In conclusion, the implementation of the SFAL policy heavily relies on the political will of the local leader. This study suggests that the local government as the policymaker needs to design the policies for determining the agricultural land that has added value besides its’ crop to protect the farmers’ interest amid the SFAL implementation.