The local wisdom of the coastal community of Bakaran Village, Central Java, Indonesia, in maintaining rice to improve the food security

Abstract

Abstract. Alfian RL, Iskandar BS, Gunawan B. 2018. The local wisdom of the coastal community of Bakaran Village, Central Java, Indonesia, in maintaining rice to improve the food security. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 47-52. Based on tradition, Bakaran Village, Juwana, Pati, Central Java has prohibited (pantang) to sell the cooked rice (nasi). This prohibition or Pantangan of the Bakaran community appears to be due to Nyai Ageng Bakaran, the village’s founder. The present study aimed to elucidate the meaning of prohibition (pantangan) on the selling of cooked rice and its functions for improving food security in the village. The qualitative with ethnographical and ethnoecological approach was applied in this study. Several techniques were carried out, namely the observation, participant observation, the in-depth interview, and the literature study. The study shows that the Pantangan of selling the cooked rice was initially undertaken based on a story of Nyai Ageng Bakaran that provided a message to his community not to sell the cooked rice and better share it with others. This Pantangan has some meaning and values, such as instilling the importance of mutual sharing, helping, and caring among the community members. In addition, Pantangan teaches that prosperity is not always measured with money, but keeping people away from starving is a form of prosperity. The Pantangan functions as one of how the Bakaran community ensures the security of food needs. Indeed, the Pantangan also served as a form of actualization of their identity.