Sustaining subsistence culture in Mamar agroforestry management in West Timor, is it possible?

¹ Environmental Science Program, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
² Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia
³ Faculty of Geography, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
⁴ Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
⁵ Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: alfredngaji2019@mail.ugm.ac.id

Abstract

A subsistence culture which has moral values related to the protection of ancestral territories and the environment, must be maintained in the management of Mamar agroforestry. On the other hand, subsistence culture is often seen as a counter-modernization culture because it is not commercially oriented. This paper aims to provide an overview of the subsistence culture and its relationship to the preservation of Mamar agroforestry and the potential stresses it faces, as well as quantify the opportunities for sustaining a subsistence culture in today’s West Timorese society. The method used is literature study using Google Scholar and other relevant literature. As it is known, the demands of life necessities and lifestyles, global climate change, and government policies are the pressing factors for land conversion, including in Mamar. On the other hand, a culture of subsistence tends to maintain moral values in cultivating land that preserves nature, thereby reducing pressure for Mamar land conversion. The conclusion obtained is that a subsistence culture needs to be maintained and become a locomotive for maintaining the sustainability of development as a whole, by reducing the causes of vulnerability in society. Economic and social interests can be integrated due to compliance with strong social structures.