indonesia: rice cultivation
Until 1969, the Balinese grew and ate at least a dozen traditional varieties of rice known as Padi Bali, which took about 150 days to mature. Bali’s ‘Green Revolution’ began in the late 1960s, when food security in Indonesia became a serious issue. The Indonesian government and the World Bank introduced a hybrid white rice called IR36 which was to mature in 120 days, and all Indonesian farmers were ordered to grow this new crop, which was heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In this “conventional” cultivation method of growing hybrid rice, farmers plant about 10 rice seedlings in bunches about 20 cm apart, flood the field and treat it with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
A new method of cultivating rice has just been introduced to Bali: the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). Planting just one seedling 30 cm apart instead of a bunch together allows the plant to grow more strongly, saving 90% of seed costs and 80% of the water used in conventional crops. Because the seedling doesn’t have to compete for nutrition and sunlight, SRI can yield 100% more rice than conventional rice cultivation, while rehabilitating the soil since no chemical inputs are needed.
The impacts of this new method are far-reaching, offering more income for farmers and a healthier environment for future generations. The Paradigm Shift Project has documented these impacts and the needs of the community for more training workshops on the SRI method, led by local Balinese organization Tri Hita Karana Bali.
Since its publication in January 2009, this film has been viewed in over 45 countries, and has been used in classroom presentations at Upper Canada College (Toronto, Ontario), Rosseau Lake College (Muskoka, Ontario) and an elementary school in the Peel District School Board (Mississauga, Ontario). In addition, the film is being used as an educational resource by the Cornell Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development, and is listed on their website. An accompanying curricula guide is currently in progress, and will be posted online free of charge as a resource teachers can use to integrate this film in their courses.
The film has been given to Tri Hita Karana Bali for them to use as an educational fundraising and campaigning tool, and has enabled their organization to foster relationships with and advise on other organizations’ work internationally, such as Happiness International’s rice projects in Guinea and One Eden’s planned rice training in Kyrgyzstan, both of whom have invited Tri Hita Karana Bali to conduct training sessions in their respective locations. You can directly support their projects by donating via their website: www.trihitakaranabali.org.
feedback from viewers
“Good work! I loved the way it showed the actual people involved in the issue. We were informed about the history of the problem and the actual solution in the words of the participants. I also like that it showed how families as well as villages can work together strengthening their bonds. A lot was accomplished in a short time of video.” - Linda Mitele, USA
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indonesia: rice cultivation
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