Nature’s contributions to people in the context of a changing traditional rice cultivation landscape in the Upper Baram, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

Traditional rice agroecosystems face socioeconomic, political, technical and environmental challenges that are resulting in changes in the traditional land use and management system and its contributions to indigenous farmers. This study explored the contributions made by swidden and wet rice agroecosystems in a traditional rice cultivation landscape and how this landscape has been influenced by recent changes in land use and management. Data were gathered from two villages in the Upper Baram, Malaysia, using semi-structured interviews with 43 farmers, and examined by qualitative content analysis. Farmers perceived different benefits from the rice agroecosystems over and above rice, such as non-rice food supply, habitat creation and support of their identity. The wet rice agroecosystem benefits farmers through higher rice yields, while the swidden rice agroecosystem provides a greater diversity of material contributions. Recent trends in land use and management towards the wet rice agroecosystem and plantations, driven by farmer preferences, land use policies and socioeconomic factors, are challenging the contributions available to farmers from the traditional rice cultivation landscape. Actors involved in decision-making in the traditional rice cultivation landscape should therefore consider the impact of land use and management changes on the diversity of contributions provided by rice agroecosystems.

KEYWORDS:

• Ecosystem services
• IPBES
• agricultural transition
• indigenous people
• Borneo

Acknowledgments

We thank the communities of Long Lamai and Long Banga participating in this research. Our gratitude also goes to those who participated in the interviews for giving their time and sharing information about their rice cultivation. Finally, we acknowledge the support of the Bruno Manser Fund and the Institute of Borneo Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak in the organisation of field trips.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Declarations

We confirm that this manuscript has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another journal.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, AH, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The research leading to these results received funding from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) to partially cover travel costs and research expenses. In addition, the first author received a study grant under the Austrian Student Support Act.