Regional Sustainability ›› 2024, Vol. 5 ›› Issue (1): 100117.doi: 10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100117

• Full Length Article • Previous Articles    

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

Setyardi Pratika MULYAa,b,*(), Delik HUDALAHc   

  1. aUrban and Regional Planning Study Program, School of Architecture, Planning, and Policy Development, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia
    bDepartment of Soil Science and Land Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
    cResearch Center for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia
  • Received:2023-06-11 Accepted:2024-03-29 Published:2024-03-30 Online:2024-04-30
  • Contact: E-mail address: 35421008@mahasiswa.itb.ac.id (Setyardi Pratika MULYA).

Abstract:

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.

Key words: Agricultural intensity, Village agriculture index (VAI), Village sustainability index (VSI), Level of agricultural sustainability (LoAS), Peri-urban areas;Indonesia