Ethnobotanical study on food crop diversity in swidden agroforestry agriculture to support food security of Baduy community

Abstract

Iskandar J, Iskandar BS. 2015. Ethnobotanical study on food crop diversity in swidden agroforestry agriculture to support food security of Baduy community. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 1: 1265-1272. This paper discusses the result of a study on food diversity crops in the swidden agroforestry (huma) which have an important role in supporting food security of Baduy community who reside the in village of Kanekes, sub-district of Leuwidamar, District of Lebak, Province of Banten. The aims of the study include (i) to understand cultivation of food crops in the swidden agroforestry huma among the Baduy community; (ii) to inventory food crops which are commonly cropped in the swidden agroforestry huma of the Baduy community; and (iii) to understand the food security of the Baduy community and its changes caused of various environmental changes. The qualitative method was used in this study. The botanical data was mainly collected by inventory crops/plants in the swidden (huma) and secondary forest fallowed land (reuma). Meanwhile, social aspect data on the traditional management of the swidden agroforestry huma in relation to maintaining food security undertaken by the Baduy community was collected by deep interviewed with informants who were selected by purposive with considering the completeness and variations. The result of the study shows that the swidden agroforestry huma has been culturally managed by the Baduy based on moral and interest purposes, and managing a high diversity of crops/plants. In the swidden agroforestry of Baduy was recorded 41 species of food crops consist of 9 species of carbohydrate food and 32 species of non-carbohydrate food. By applying of strategy to cultivate various local rice varieties (landraces) -- for moral purposes which are prohibited from trading-- are mixed cropped with harmonious with non-rice crops/plants which are not prohibited from trading. As a result, the swidden agroforestry PROS SEM NAS MASY BIODIV INDON 1 (6): 1265-1272, September 2015 1266 huma has been an important role in conserving local crop/plant diversity, including food crop diversity. In addition, by conserving crops diversity in the swidden agroforestry huma has been very useful in supporting and maintaining the food security of Baduy. By more intensive economic market penetration to Baduy village, the food consumption pattern of the Baduy household has dramatically changed. However, by the rapid development of the economic market, the Baduy people have properly adapted, such as involving in selling non-rice crops and household handicrafts. As a result, Baduy have got cash money and can be used for buying various household needs of the Baduy, such as sawah husked rice (beras sawah) to supplement of the swidden rice. Moreover, the swidden rice production can be stored in rice barns (leuit) for more than fifty years, and food security of the Baduy can be maintained.