Agriculture and Rural

Tourism and Land Grabbing in Bali

The research provides a deeper look into the impact of tourism on agricultural systems, food security, food sovereignty and rural development in Bali. Finding reveal that the massive investment in the tourist industry has come at the expense of agricultural livelihoods.

Ruben Rosenberg

(He/Him)

Researcher

Italian

There is a need for a fundamental reorientation away from the wholesale promotion of the tourist industry towards a more balanced approach which offers support and prospects for Bali’s farming communities.
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Key Takeaways

How To Apply Insights

Currently designated agricultural land receive a similar level of protection and designation as national forests – the zoning permissions associated with agricultural land are far too easy to either circumvent or change legitimately or illegitimately.
Establish a dedicated inter-departmental taskforce to review and prevent illegal acquisition of agricultural wetlands (tanah sawah) at the provincial level and enforce zoning regulations (bapeda).
Enact a provincial wide moratorium on agricultural land taxes. Additionally, allow for a streamlined process of exemption from such taxes for farmers in tourism dense areas.
Utilise the BULOG (Badan Urusan Logistik – Department of Logistic Affairs) to set prices for the main foodstuff com- modities, and engage in a multi-stakeholder consultation to decide what those prices could and should be.
Displace revenue as the primary form of assessing performance of the public water distribution company (PDAM). Instead, incentivise adherence to performance indicators that prioritise conservation, wastewater treatment, and equitable distribution of water to the population at large as well as the agrarian sector.
Engage in a widespread regional public education campaign to inform the local population about the excessive water usage by the tourism industry. Furthermore, a strong regulatory apparatus must be established to prevent the tourism industry from appropriating excessive water resources.

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About this research

This research received external funding from:

The European Union Commission

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Why This Research Matters

To investigate the impacts of tourism development on traditional as well as non-traditional farming practices in Bali, Indonesia, particularly from the contextual lens of land grabbing and water grabbing.

Findings & Research Conclusions

Research interviews with farmers and agricultural communities revealed concerns related to the impact
of tourism on: i) local land tenure systems and traditional farming practices; ii) management of water resources and adaptation to climate change; iii) protection of native seed varieties and cultural heritage. The main findings were that although some of the farmers depending on their geographical locations had more positive relationships with the tourism industry (which depended on protective measures they had in place that prevented their land from being sold for tourism development,) many farmers who sold land had less positive experiences – e.g. fewer economic activities available in order to sustain themselves over a long period. Ultimately, the development of the tourism infrastructure was in direct competition with, and therefore directly detrimental to the needs of the rural, agrarian communities.

Research's methodology

The snowball sampling technique was deployed to gather participants.

Fieldwork was intensively conducted on-site over the course of one month and included semi- structured in-depth interviews, unstructured interviews, group sessions, and participant observation. These were primarily conducted on three agricultural “landscapes”. The geographic location of these landscapes was chosen in order to provide an accurate representation of the various farming practices (and attitudes towards tourism development) around the island, and to attempt to determine an association based on their proximity to tourism- related activities.

in order to provide an accurate representation of the various farming practices (and attitudes towards tourism development) around the island, and to attempt to determine an association based on their proximity to tourism- related activities.

Concept	Definition
Land grabbing	The process whereby large investors (public or private) acquire – through coercion or persuasion, legal or illegal means – large areas of land as well as concessions related to its use.

Reference this research

Colorni, R. R. (2018). Tourism and land grabbing in bali. Transnational Institute. https://www.tni.org/files/publication-downloads/tourism_and_land_grabbing_in_bali.pdf