Agricultural intensity for sustainable regional development:A case study in peri-urban areas of Karawang Regency,Indonesia

Peri-urban areas are playing an increasingly crucial role in the agricultural development and intensification in Indonesia.Peri-urban agriculture is highly vulnerable to change compared with urban and rural agriculture,due to its location in transitional areas.Indicators of peri-urban agricultural intensity can help guide regional development.In this study,we assessed the sustainability of peri-urban areas based on agricultural intensity in Karawang Regency,Indonesia.We developed a village-based index to assess the region’s agricultural intensity by rescaling the village agriculture index(VAI)and combining the local sustainability index(LSI)with factor analysis.Since the unit of analysis is the village,we modified the LSI to the village sustainability index(VSI).In addition,we also developed a logical matrix analysis to determine the level of agricultural sustainability(LoAS)of each village.The combined results of the three indices(VAI,VSI,and LoAS)generated information about agricultural sustainability.The results indicated that peri-urban villages with high agricultural intensity tended to exhibit low levels of social welfare,economic development,and disaster risk.Moreover,high agricultural intensity did not necessarily ensure the prosperity of the people.Instead,there was the economic disparity among the villages in the study area.Encouraging diversity of agricultural intensity seems to be more critical than promoting agricultural intensity itself.Overall,this study highlights the distinctive characteristics and dynamic of peri-urban areas.New approaches,variables,and information regarding the combination of agricultural intensity and sustainability need to be developed as valuable tools for regional planning.

Review of peri-urban agriculture as a regional ecosystem service

The peri-urban area possesses mixed characteristics of rural and urban areas,i.e.,agricultural,and built-up land.This review explains various themes and concepts of peri-urban areas and the importance of peri-urban agriculture(PUA)as an ecosystem service(ES)for their surrounding areas.The methodological approach is a systematic literature search and explanatory review of books and journal articles.The focus of the discussion is as follows:(1)quantification of review results,(2)urbanization pressures,peri-urban,and governance,(3)two different concepts about the peri-urban area,(4)protection of PUA and their resilience,and(5)role of PUA in providing ESs to other regions.The review shows that PUA is more crucial in urban areas than in rural areas in terms of food supply,ecology and biodiversity preservation,disaster mitigation,and recreation.One of the primary causes of PUA loss is massive urban expansion,which entails the conversion of agricultural land in peri-urban areas into built-up land.Hence,we suggest that every country should develop a peri-urban management policy.We argue that sociocultural biases in PUA have resulted in many institutional constraints on peri-urban management being incorporated within existing political and regulatory frameworks,including planning practices and longstanding laws and regulations.