This TRACE project will trace traditional knowledge associated with irrigated agriculture, particularly with wet rice cultivation in Java, Bali and Sumatra islands in Indonesia. Using an ethno-historical approach, the research team will conduct field and archival research in order to construct and identify the layers of knowledge that farmers consult in crafting strategies for adaptation and risk mitigation. 

Through this project, Trace Indonesia emphasizes what kinds of knowledge are consulted, how they are stored, and how they relate to different ontological forms, which are the primary tasks of tracing. Farmers are not beholden to a single knowledge repository but are strategic and mindful of the continuously evolving ontological layers. While most modern, market-based, or government-based agricultural ontologies do not replace traditional ones, why are some grassroots knowledge and ontologies being sustained and reproduced? How do they choose one or the other?

The research aims to examine the various layers of memory and repertoires of knowledge that exist among farming communities engaged in irrigated rice agriculture in the archipelago. These layers point to its emergence and entanglement with states, including the traditional kingdoms, sultanates, Dutch Indies colonial state, and the post-independence Republic of Indonesia. Through ethnographic/oral history and archival research, and by providing a space for farmers/community agencies, we intend to work together with farming communities, environmental groups, and the government in order to trace the knowledge that has been passed down from various generations on the ecological knowledge related to the creation and maintenance of irrigated agriculture. Its incredible success in Indonesia has resulted in the creation of a nation of hundreds of millions of people.

At its core, the TRACE project aims to inform policymakers about the possibilities of incorporating grassroots knowledge into climate governance. As the climate crisis worsens in the coming decades, farmers’ ability to adapt and be resilient is key to maintaining social and economic stability. Government and university technical support can only partially support farmers’ response to the changing climate. The farmer’s traditional and persistent ontological approach must serve as the basis for future climate adaptation governance strategy. There are three main audiences for the research: The first are within international academia. We will co-write papers for international journal publications and co-edit book volumes with our colleagues at KITLV in the Netherlands. The second is the national community. We will mainly write papers for national journals and the mass media. The third are the government, NGOs, and other institutions that affect policy. We will mainly conduct meetings and disseminate policy papers.

The geographical scope of this project encompasses a diverse transect of the Indonesian archipelago, covering Java, Sumatra, and Bali. In Java, the research concentrates on the coastal and mountainous regions of Kebumen, as well as the irrigated plains of Sleman and Klaten. It also explores the culturally preserved communities of Kampung Naga (Tasikmalaya) and Ciptagelar (Sukabumi). In Sumatra, this research enables a comparative analysis of river basin systems in Tanah Datar (West Sumatra) and Humbang Hasundutan (North Sumatra). Finally, the investigation extends to the agricultural heartlands of Bali, specifically in the regencies of Tabanan, Badung, and Karangasem, offering a comprehensive perspective on how varied topographies from high-altitude forests to coastal areas affect the adaptive capacities of local farming communities.