Small-scale farmers on Lombok feel the impact of climate change, but their experiences are frequently overlooked. “The further you zoom out, the less the people are heard who are directly affected by climate change,” Koopman says. He advocates putting the farmer’s perspective at the heart of climate policy.
Koopman: “My research shows that the way Indonesian farmers experience the climate and respond to it is influenced by a wide range of factors: the government, religion, old and new knowledge, globalisation, neoliberalism, corruption, NGOs and value chains. All these influences create conflicting signals in which the voices of farmers are forgotten. Yet they are precisely the people on the frontline.”
Difficult
According to Koopman, this makes it difficult to make good decisions and to provide appropriate help and support. “A one-size-fits-all approach is not sufficient for effective adaptation, yet that is currently the reality. The voice of the farmers is crucial, because they can convey the local context and knowledge on which adaptation strategies and policies should be based.”
Vulnerable
Globally, small-scale farmers produce most of our food, yet they are also the most vulnerable to climate change. “This knowledge is crucial in practice, given the increasing pressure climate change puts on our food supply,” Koopman states. “Governments, NGOs and farmers’ organisations can draw on these insights to better align their policies and projects with the reality on the ground.”
Connection
For his research, Koopman conducted extensive fieldwork on Lombok between 2019 and 2023, spending several periods on the island, including one continuous year. “The research places the farmer’s voice at the centre,” he explains, “because that is where genuine connection must be found in order to face the challenges of the future.”
Photo: Jop Koopman