By: Meryana Agnesta Linome, Architecture student, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Nusa Cendana University, member of KEHATI Foundation's Biodiversity Warriors.
The food crisis is becoming increasingly apparent. President Joko Widodo reiterated the threat of this crisis for the umpteenth time in Jakarta on Monday (18/9). Climate change has caused food productivity in a number of countries to fall, especially rice and wheat. A number of countries, such as India, have chosen to limit their rice exports. Therefore, a breakthrough is needed so that Indonesia's food security is maintained as well as sustainable in the midst of this crisis.
This resilience is not only sufficiency, but how to fulfill the need for nutritious food. This is considering the high rate of stunting in a number of regions in this country. For example, in South Central Timor District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), which has a stunting prevalence rate more than double the World Health Organization (WHO) standard (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2022).
The question is, how to build sustainable food security in this country?
Traditional House
Indonesia's geographical landscape in the form of islands allows this country to have a diversity of resources. One of them is the variety of indigenous tribal communities and their cultures. The product of cultural diversity that can be physically found is the traditional house.
Indeed, there is an interdependence between local culture and local food security. One of them is the food management system in Ume Kbubu, the traditional house of the Dawan tribe, NTT, which is now starting to be abandoned. Ume Kbubu, which has been passed down from generation to generation, carries information about the food system of the Timorese tribe. Ume Kbubu is just one example of a traditional house in the archipelago that is closely related to the local food system.
In this country, almost all traditional houses are designed with a pattern of cultural interdependence and local food security. For example, lumbung can be found in every ethnic entity in Indonesia, from Wale in North Sulawesi to Lopo in Papua.
Generally, the archipelago's traditional houses were born from vernacular architecture, which is an appropriate technology that responds to natural conditions. Vernacular architecture is a design that adapts to the local climate, using local techniques and materials, influenced by the socio-cultural and economic aspects of the local community (Mentayani, 2017). The adaptation of local vernacular architecture to natural conditions and local climate is aimed at integrating the food system of the local community.
This can be seen in the system of processing, preserving and breeding with smoking techniques practiced by the Dawan people. The Dawan people refer to themselves as Atoin Meto which literally means 'people of the dry land'. This is due to the dry land conditions of the Timor plain with low rainfall. These conditions only allow the Dawan people to have one harvest season a year, which is during the rainy season. The main commodities, such as corn, must then be stored and preserved in order to provide food reserves for the year.
The food system of the Dawan people cannot be separated from the vernacular architecture of Ume Kbubu, which has a closed dome shape with minimal ventilation. The base is circular and characterized by a stone foundation, known as baki. The roof is a dome structure formed from a horizontal wooden structure (tak pani) and a circular wooden structure (suaf) then covered with reeds that cover up to the walls of Ume Kbubu.
Inside Ume Kbubu, there are two rooms divided vertically. The lower room functions as a food processing area, an area for resting as well as receiving guests. The upper room (tetu) functions as a place to store food reserves, and also store plant seeds for the next planting season.
The Dawan people preserve their food by smoking. Corn, beans and se'i meat are stored on the attic (tetu). The house system that places the attic above the furnace facilitates smoking. Similarly, the dome shape is responsive when the weather is cold or hot in Timor. The shape of the dome also helps direct the smoke coming out of the furnace towards the attic. The smoking process is even more effective.
In addition, people also prepare seeds from this year's harvest to be planted again next year. Seeds that have been preserved are believed to have received blessings or have been prayed for by three elements, namely God, Spirit, and Nature.
The utilization of Ume Kbubu and the smoking system of the Dawan tribe can also be a reference for the development of food security and local food sovereignty, including local seeds, with a vernacular architecture approach. This is important, especially considering that the preservation and sustainable development of food biodiversity in Indonesia is currently a crucial issue.
Fragile ecosystem balance, loss of traditional knowledge, as well as weak interdependence between humans and nature have led to the decline of various plant and animal species. Therefore, an in-depth introduction to culture and food systems is needed to re-establish the interdependence between humans and nature through a vernacular architecture approach. This can be realized by involving local communities as a credible source.
By setting sufficient study boundaries, communities can reacquaint themselves with local wisdom-based food processing practices that have gone through trial and error in the past.
Recontextualizing the Barn
The next step is to recontextualize vernacular architecture so that it is in line with the values of modern society. Recontextualization of vernacular architecture can be done by applying knowledge and practices of local traditions in an effort to maintain the availability and sustainability of food resources.
Using past architecture is part of rethinking, reforming, rebuilding, reinventing, redefining or re-evaluating past entities in a contemporary context (Prajudi, 2012).
These recontextualized vernacular architecture-based traditional buildings can function as traditional food barns that are important for the realization of local food security. In addition, the existing barns can also become centers of food information and knowledge at the local level.
Recontextualizing the lumbung into a Bale Pangan (bale refers to the local language of the Dawan tribe meaning 'place') has a flexible structure depending on the local vernacular structure system. It can include space utilization, utilization of traditional techniques, replanting of local crops, waste utilization, collaboration with communities, education and training, introduction of local varieties, and conservation of natural resources.
Bale Pangan can be utilized as a public area to reintroduce local food processing practices to the community. In addition, Bale Pangan can also be utilized as a place to practice local food processing, preservation, and breeding as a form of local food sovereignty. Thus, the climate crisis will no longer affect the community, as there is food availability throughout the year.
Activities at the Bale Pangan can be a catalyst for local farmers to return to growing local crops, as the interdependence between community activities and local food resources returns. This will also help restore local food biodiversity. Bale Pangan can also be utilized as a platform to campaign for organic waste management for the community, such as biopori and eco enzyme systems, so that sustainability can be maintained.
The Bale Pangan and its collaboration with the community serves as an educational platform for local communities to share knowledge and experience in the development of sustainable farming and food storage practices. In addition, the center also serves as a platform for the development of locally-based products, such as processed foods, traditional drinks, and regional spices with added economic value.
Bale Pangan includes a community that advocates for food sovereignty, and every local community is sovereign over what they eat. Of course, its application requires a real physical building in order to create a real spatial layout and activities in it.
Thus, the Bale Pangan based on local architecture can be the beginning of a sustainable agricultural system. This system is based on four pillars: economically viable, adaptive technology, environmentally friendly and climate crisis resilient, and socially and culturally accepted by the community (Yayasan KEHATI, 2020). The trick is to rebuild the interdependence between humans and nature through revitalization and recontextualization of the archipelago's traditional house architecture. (mmu/mmu)
This article has been published on detik.com national media with the title, "Building Food Security Based on Local Architecture" read more: https://news.detik.com/kolom/d-6949833/membangun-ketahanan-pangan-berbasis-arsitektur-lokal.
