Indonesian Urban Farming Communities and Food Sovereignty

This research paper has attempted to examine how and to what extent urban farming communities and food sovereignty in Indonesia engage each other. It is done by two ways: 1) examination of two pillars of food sovereignty practised among urban farming communities namely localisation of food system and nature stewardship; 2) examination on how peasantry-based food sovereignty movements see the significance of urban farming communities in applying food sovereignty concept and to build mutual linkage between them. Case study from three cities – Jakarta, Bandung and Bogor – shows that food sovereignty discourse has not (yet) much exposed the urban farming communities because, 1) urban farming as movements has different historical background and root of emergence with food sovereignty concept that was brought by rural peasantry-based movements, and 2) so the both also have different social characters and political views. On the other hand, the representatives of food sovereignty movement suggest at least two important prerequisites to strength-en the construction of food sovereignty among urban food advocates specifically 1) building consumer conciousness on food system among urban groups, and 2) building urban and rural solidarity. I argue that the emergence of urban farming movements can be a sign of the beginning and transition phase of food movement into urban setting that further can be a great chance for food sovereignty to fulfill the discourse on more sustainable and just food activism. For this, it needs more inclusive food sovereignty movements toward urban population, yet the urban communities should frame their activism to be critical to the existing industrialized food sys-tem. As initial research on this issue in Indonesia, this hopefully can bring in-sight and reflection – including for the global South – to enrich food sovereignty discourse as different context, setting, and geography perhaps should have different strategy and entry point.