A sustainable way of agricultural livelihood: edible bird’s nests in Indonesia

Ecosystem Health and Sustainability

Aswin Usup¹  Ken’ichi Matsumoto²  Yutaka Ito³  Yuki Yamamoto⁴ 

[1] Faculty of Agriculture, University of Palangka Raya, Palangkaraya, Indonesi;Faculty of Economics, Toyo University, Tokyo, Japa;Faculty of Regional Policy, The University of Shimane, Matsue, Japa;Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japa;

关键词: Edible bird’s nest;    swiftlet;    Indonesia;    forest;    natural habitat;    ecosystem services;    satellite data;   

DOI  :  10.1080/20964129.2021.1960200

来源: Taylor & Francis

【 摘 要 】

Edible birds’ nests (EBNs) have traditionally been produced in Southeast Asia. Indonesian farmers construct buildings for swiftlets and harvest their nests. EBN farming does not directly degrade forest resources and is therefore considered a sustainable means of production, whereas the expansion of other agricultural activities often relies on the degradation of natural resources. This study examines the relationship between natural resources and agricultural livelihoods, focusing on Indonesian EBN farmers. Using survey data that we collected in 2017, combined with satellite information on the extent of the forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, we measured production efficiency and identified the natural and social factors that enhance production performance. The results show that a forest extent ranging between 2,000 and 6,000 meters from nesting building is positively associated with the production efficiency of EBN farming, perhaps because extensive forest could help swiftlets to collect food and build nests. Conversely, while EBN farming is a sustainable and profitable option, the initial costs of constructing buildings to house swiftlets may deter farmers from participating in the process.

【 授权许可】

CC BY