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Building economic resilience in Indonesia

The Nata Lutur village journey

By IW:LEARN

May 23^rd, 2024

Nata Lutur and its people

Nata Lutur Village, situated in the Southeast Aru sub-district of Indonesia’s Aru Archipelago, is known for its rich ecological diversity. Mangroves, rivers, and forests provide essential resources for the population's daily life, as states Mama Ena, one of the women from the village: "If we want to cook, we get vegetables from the nearby forest, fish and clams from the river; if a child is sick with a fever, we get medicine from the forest."

Most people in Lutur Village live from farming and fishing, growing vegetables, and processing coconuts into copra. Women tend to care for the plantations and the household, while the men focus on fishing, bringing in mackerel, red snapper, moonfish, shrimp, lobster, squid, and sea cucumbers.

Although natural marine resources appear abundant, income from fishing is uncertain and highly dependent on the season and wind patterns.

Women's indigenous peoples alliance of the archipelago called Perempuan AMAN in Lutur Village. Photo: ATSEA-2 Project.

When the wind blows from Asia to Australia, fishers cannot go to sea at all. Similarly, during the transition from dry to rainy season between August and September, the marine harvest is not profitable.

"During these changing seasons, the sea is cold and there are many jellyfish, (but) no fish," complains Lando, a fisherfolk of this fishing community.

Meanwhile, the cost of living is on the rise - especially the price of fuel and daily food essentials. Education adds another layer to this problem, especially if they send their children outside the village or to other islands for higher education. The result is that many people in the community are trapped in debt.

To address this problem of economic sustainability and community resilience, the ATSEA-2 Project, along with the Sajogyo Institute and the women's collective Perempuan AMAN (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, "Women's Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago" in English) have formed production groups, provided training in various business skills, and helped the community leverage their abundant coconut resources more effectively.

“Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago” : Mitigating Income Challenges

The collaboration with the ATSEA-2 Project created better life standards by reinventing their economic system:

1- a large copra dryer was introduced, making the process faster and less labor-intensive. During lean periods, particularly when fishing yields are low, copra sales have become a crucial source of income.

2- As a part of the Project’s Gender Action Plan for the Aru Archipelago with the ATSEA-2 Project, women started processing coconuts into Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO). This diversification strategy provides stable, additional income, particularly benefiting the women who lead the charge for change.

The Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) products produced from the training. Photo: ATSEA-2 Project.

To date, four production groups have been formed. Each having from 8 to 10 people who work as a team to process and develop the Virgin Coconut Oil Industry and make it flourishing all year long. For this, they aim to provide additional training for these groups, focusing on areas such as improvements in packaging, determining competitive selling prices, effective marketing strategies and proper sales record keeping.

"Hopefully, we can sell it and make extra income,"

says Mama Yaken, one member of Perempuan AMAN.

With support from ATSEA-2 and its partners, local businesses and women’s cooperatives in the Aru Archipelago such as Perempuan Aman will be able to face the uncertainty of the future with improved resilience and the knowledge they need to overcome challenges.

As we explore the resilience and innovation of Nata Lutur Village, we see a community adapting to challenges with resourcefulness and cooperation, poised to secure a sustainable future through enhanced local enterprises and community-led initiatives. With further training planned, these groups are ready for the next step in their journey together

Freshly extracted coconut milk, a key ingredient in the production of VCO. Photo: ATSEA-2 Project.

About the ATSEA-2 Project

ATSEA-2 is the second phase of the Arafura & Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA) program, a regional partnership involving the governments of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea supported by the Australian Government. Its objective is to collectively manage high marine and fisheries resources in the Arafura and Timor Seas (ATS) region. Since its inception in 2019, the program has been working to promote sustainable development in the ATS region and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants through a combination of restoration, conservation and sustainable management of marine-coastal ecosystems.

The ATSEA-2 Project is committed to safeguarding the livelihoods and prosperity of coastal people in the ATS region, particularly in transboundary areas, through the implementation of sustainable integrated concepts.

ATSEA-2 is a Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded program, managed and executed under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) Resource Facility (PRF) is an implementing partner.

Footnotes

Words by Ni Luh Putu Yulia Dewi and and Stella Yovita Arya Puteri. Photo cover: Fisher by Beth Macdonald/Unsplash For more information on the ATSEA-2 Project, please contact the Regional Project Manager, Handoko Adi Susanto (hasusanto@pemsea.org), visit the project page on iwlearn.net or the project website.