Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Slash-and-burn agriculture is often depicted as a "primitive" or "traditional" form of farming, closely tied to the way of life of indigenous communities. The Dayak Benuaq people, who live in the upstream areas of Kutai Barat, East Kalimantan, continue to practice this method to this day. Anthropologists have extensively documented this agricultural model, revealing its potential sustainability when practiced in balance with ecological processes. This paper aims to explore the strong connections between slash-and-burn farming and indigenous ecological succession, while also encouraging a rethinking of the concept of metabolism within this agricultural system. By incorporating the framework of ‘degrowth,’ it becomes evident that slash-and-burn agriculture embodies principles of allowing the soil and environment to recuperate during fallow periods. In the context of the rapid expansion of monoculture plantations, such as oil palm and rubber, in Kalimantan, this study seeks to demonstrate how slash-and-burn agriculture is adapting to the pressures of global commodity crop production. Through a systematic literature review, our findings highlight that the Dayak Benuaq community is not isolated but instead demonstrates resilience and adaptability by integrating sustainable practices with global commodity changes. This research seeks to address two main questions: (1) What is the relationship between slash and-burn agriculture and ecological succession, and (2) how has this farming method adapted to accommodate commodity crops like oil palm? By answering these questions, the study discusses the role of ecological succession in sustaining indigenous agricultural practices and how these practices are being reshaped in response to broader environmental and economic forces
Institutions: Universitas Gadjah Mada, State University of Jakarta
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413003206