No one should die of hunger Ekoningtyas Margu Wardani  ;  A researcher at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University, the Netherlands, working on her PhD on food security for Orang Rimba in Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas, Jambi

JAKARTA POST, 18 Maret 2015

                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                           

It was recently reported that 11 members — women and children — of the Orang Rimba indigenous group died of hunger in the eastern part of a national park in Jambi. Among these people is the Terab group, just one of many neglected indigenous peoples. Given our focus on economic development, unsurprisingly the welfare of these people has trailed second in government priorities. In Jambi, including around the Bukit Duabelas National Park (TNBD) area, plantations have contributed to regional development to the detriment of the lives and livelihoods of indigenous peoples. The Orang Rimba group is very vulnerable because of deforestation caused by plantation expansion, transmigration settlements, logging and other forms of forest conversion. It is no longer possible, due to declining forestland, to undertake traditional forest management by maintaining zoning customs based on deep rooted values aiming for ecological balance between mankind and the environment. The tradition of moving from one location to another works well in an expansive environment, but may generate food security problems amid decreasing forestland, which undermines some of the centuries-old coping strategies of the Orang Rimba during food shortage periods such as sharing — thereby increasing the danger of chronic food insecurity. For the Terab, vulnerability to food shortage is caused by, among others things, living outside the national park due to economic and cultural adjustment, confinement to settlements, inadequate plots of land to grow rubber and cassava, the use of rudimentary tools and mixed livelihood. They still maintain some traditional practices that are not entirely applicable in a confined environment, while adopting a sedentary livelihood without ample knowledge to cultivate and engage in trade on fair terms. In any case, they are still not entirely accepted as equal members of mainstream society, leading to tensions between the two groups. Additionally, income-generating activities, such as growing cash crops, picking oil palm fruits in companies’ territory and selling labor, are not enough to offset their loss by being confined to designated zones rather than gathering forest products from vast expanses of forests, which are no longer available to them. In any case, efforts to reduce vulnerability by external forces seem to be aimed at de-rooting the Orang Rimba from their traditions. Despite slightly improving their lives, the fast pace of development has left the Orang Rimba with little terrain to roam and hunt for food crops and wildlife. The encroachment on their customs by modernization and development has resulted in scarce animals for them to hunt, which becomes more pronounced during prolonged dry seasons. Their forays into modern farming, given the high cost of living, have not produced substantial yields to reduce their peril. The decimation of rain forests, largely caused by outside parties, is an affront on their lives and food security in particular. The Terab have largely succumbed to the majority surrounding communities. With little space for them to wander, they have been forced to put up simple housing structures (sesudungon) on rubber and oil palm plantations belonging to the big corporations. The fate that faces the Terab in this area is very disconcerting to say the least. Their protracted marginalization has turned them into guests and foreigners in their own homes. It is, therefore, unsurprising that they face illness and hunger. The Terab have expressed hope for the government to better understand their problems. Enhanced awareness of their conditions should help the Terab and Orang Rimba come up with ways to find practical solutions to their problems. One crucial action is involving efforts tailored to understand their various pressures, especially decreasing forest habitats. Another urgent expected action involves improving the health of the Orang Rimba. In the future they should be at the forefront among those demanding all inalienable rights, including the right to food. No one should die of hunger in this country. ●