On May 24, 2023, five civil society organizations held a National Seminar with the theme “Harmonizing UNDROP into Policies: Efforts to Protect the Rights of Farmers and Rural Communities in Indonesia.”
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasant and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) was officially adopted on December 17, 2018. With the approval of UNDROP, farmers and rural communities worldwide gained a new hope for the recognition of their rights and protection. UNDROP addresses the acknowledgment of the rights of farmers and rural communities, ensuring their protection and fulfillment.
However, despite the passage of five years since the declaration, UNDROP has not been widely publicized, and its impact on the rights of farmers and rural communities remains limited. The potential of UNDROP to influence agricultural and rural policies is yet to be seen. Instead, the passing of Law No. 6 of 2023, which establishes Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (PERPPU) No. 22 of 2022, further threatens the progress of small-scale farmers and marginalized communities in rural areas.
It becomes crucial for the declaration of farmers’ and small communities’ rights to be promoted, aiming to harmonize UNDROP into relevant sectoral policies. This is essential to achieve the recognition, respect, and protection of the rights of farmers, women, and rural communities. To fulfill this goal, five civil society organizations, namely Bina Desa, Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI), Indonesian Peasant Alliance (API), and Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), organized the National Seminar, attended by small-scale farmers, rural women, civil society organizations, government representatives, and policymakers.
The seminar comprised two discussion sessions. The first session featured speakers such as Henry Saragih (General Chairperson of the Serikat Petani Indonesia), Erni (Secretary of the Indonesian Rural Women’s Network – JPP Nusantara), M. Rifai (Aliansi Petani Indonesia), and Nori Ignacio (SEARICE). The second session included speakers like Ivanovic from the Ministry of Village and PDTT, Luluk Nurhamidah (Member of the VI Commission of the Indonesian House of Representatives), Nani Suwarni (Ministry of Agriculture – PVTPP), Saurlin Siagian (National Commission on Human Rights – KOMNAS HAM), and Rahmat Maulana (IGJ).
During the seminar, various efforts, struggles, processes, and valuable stories related to the recognition and protection of farmers’ rights within UNDROP were shared by Civil Society Organizations. These presentations aimed to initiate inclusive discussions among all stakeholders present at the meeting.
The seminar served as a platform to clarify and explore the implementation of government programs and policies aligned with the objectives of UNDROP. Some government programs mentioned were the SNP program, which includes the enactment of Standards for Human Rights on Land and Natural Resources in 2021 by KOMNAS HAM to provide legal protection for farmers and marginalized groups. The Ministry of Village also presented other opportunities, including the possibility of Ministerial Decisions and Village Regulations, SDGs (Zero Hunger Village), and facilitation for patenting farmers’ innovations through the HAKI Workshop program. The workshop serves as a free assistance program for village innovators to obtain patents for technology, trademarks, geographical indicators, certification of new variety findings, and compliance with Indonesian National Standards (SNI). The Indonesian House of Representatives, specifically the IV Commission, has also made efforts to interpret clauses in each law to avoid overlap and guarantee farmers’ rights, as seen in Law No. 18 on Food, taking into account unequal power relations and incorporating inclusivity issues in legislative drafting.
However, despite ongoing discussions, contradicting policies and weak implementations were identified, such as Law No. 29 of 2000 on Plant Variety Protection (PVT), where farmers are obliged to report to the village authorities when developing genetic resources, even though UNDROP guarantees seed protection. As a result, an agreement was reached during the national seminar to revise the PVT Law. Regarding Indonesia’s potential accession to UPOV, further analysis and data study, including SEARICE’s research on UPOV, are needed. Thus, continuous monitoring and involvement by all relevant parties regarding UPOV is essential.
The seminar’s hope is for all stakeholders, whether Civil Society Organizations, government, private sector, or rural communities, to join hands and continue consolidating efforts to realize the dream of recognizing the rights of small-scale farmers and rural communities. This endeavor would bring sovereignty to farmers and prosperity to rural communities in Indonesia. [/ORS]
