Highlighting the Sukajaya Agrarian Conflict, IPB University Sociologist: Villages Have Become Battlegrounds for Economic Interests
The agrarian conflict in Sukajaya, Bogor Regency, underscores a fundamental issue in rural Indonesia: the clash between the state’s formal legal framework and the community’s social legitimacy. This was emphasized by the Chairman of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (PSP3) at IPB University, Dr Ivanovich Agusta (5/5).
He described this conflict as a reflection of the structural inequality in land ownership that has long been neglected. Most of the land is controlled by corporations through state permits, while farmers have only limited access and often lack legal certainty.
“On paper, the companies have permits, but on the ground, the community has been living off that land for decades. The clash is not merely about economic interests, but two competing claims to truth,” he said.
According to him, for farmers, land is not merely an economic asset, but a source of livelihood, social identity, and family history. “When the state fails to bridge formal legality and social reality, conflict becomes hard to avoid,” he explained.
He believes this conflict reflects major changes in rural areas. Villages are no longer immune to the pressures of investment, industrial expansion, and rising land values. “Villages have turned into arenas of economic rivalry. Farmers who lose their land are forced to become farm laborers or migrate to the city,” he explained.
This phenomenon, said Dr Ivanovich, highlights the marginalization of farmers amid modernization. Land that once served as the foundation of village self sufficiency has now shifted into an economic commodity.
Nationally, agrarian conflicts continue to rise. Data from the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) in 2025 recorded 341 cases of agrarian conflict covering more than 914.000 hectares and affecting more than 123.000 families. The plantation and agribusiness sectors are the largest contributors.
In this situation, the state’s role is considered crucial yet often ambivalent. On one hand, the state acts as a licensor; on the other, it is expected to serve as a mediator. “The state exacerbates conflicts when it merely recognizes formal documents without considering the social history of land tenure,” he emphasized.
However, he stressed that the state can also be the key to resolution if it acts as a fair arbiter. He underscored the importance of a comprehensive audit of land status, including tenure history and community testimonies.
The impact of agrarian conflicts, he continued, is not only economic but also social and psychological. “The most damaging aspect is the erosion of social capital. Suspicion arises among residents, farmers face stigma, and collective trauma ensues,” he explained. The loss of access to land also disrupts the continuity of life across generations, creating uncertainty about the future for farming families.
As a solution, Dr Ivanovich emphasized the need to shift the approach from reactive conflict management to structural transformation. “Conflict resolution must be based on transparency, participation, and agrarian justice,” he said.
He proposed concrete steps such as a temporary halt to activities on disputed land, open audits, the establishment of multi-stakeholder forums, and participatory mapping that includes the community’s history of land use.
Additionally, the restructuring of land tenure through agrarian reform including social forestry schemes and the Land for Agrarian Reform (TORA) programneeds to be accelerated.
Companies must also be required to transparently assess their social impacts. “If a corporation’s presence actually reduces community well-being, then its permits must be reviewed,” he stressed.
He concluded with a warning that without integration between legal certainty and social justice, agrarian conflicts will continue to recur. “Without recognition of farmers’ living spaces, conflicts will simply shift from one region to another,” he concluded. (AS) (IAAS/KQA)
