Implementation of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Protection and Its Impact on Agricultural Land Conversion (Study In Bima City)

Introduction

Indonesia is known as an agricultural country with abundant natural resources and a geographical location that offers significant potential for agricultural development. Agriculture is a strategic sector in national development, serving as a food provider, a source of income, a workforce, and a pillar of national economic resilience. The majority of Indonesians, particularly those in rural areas, still depend on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods. Therefore, agricultural land plays a crucial and strategic role in maintaining the sustainability of community life and supporting national food security.

The constitutional basis for the control and management of agrarian resources in Indonesia is regulated in Article 33 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. The role of land is so important that the state mandates in Article 33 Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (hereinafter referred to as the 1945 Constitution) that:

" that the earth and water and the wealth contained therein are to be controlled by the state and used for the greatest prosperity of the people ." One of these is in the land sector.

To implement this constitutional mandate, the government enacted Law Number 5 of 1960, or UUPA, which serves as the national legal basis for agrarian and land affairs. UUPA emphasizes that land rights have a social function, ensuring that their use must not conflict with the interests of the wider community. The principle of the social function of land rights demonstrates that land is not viewed solely as an economic asset but also has social, ecological, and community functions that must be maintained.

Over time, the demand for land has increased along with population growth, urbanization, industrial development, infrastructure development, and the growing need for residential and commercial areas. This situation has led to competition for land use between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. As a result, productive agricultural land is increasingly under pressure and is undergoing a change in function, becoming residential areas, shops, roads, industrial areas, and other public facilities.

Agricultural land conversion is a serious problem currently facing Indonesia. This phenomenon is not limited to large cities but has also spread to developing districts and cities. Continuous changes in agricultural land use can have various negative impacts, such as decreased national food production, reduced productive rice fields, loss of livelihoods for farmers, increased unemployment, deteriorating environmental quality, and increased dependence on food supplies from outside the region.

In order to control the conversion of agricultural land, the government established Law Number 41 of 2009 as a special legal instrument aimed at protecting sustainable food agricultural land. The law stipulates that sustainable food agricultural land is agricultural land designated for protection and consistent development to produce staple foods for national food independence, resilience, and sovereignty.

Protection of agricultural land is also related to Law Number 26 of 2007, which stipulates that spatial use must be carried out safely, comfortably, productively, and sustainably. This law emphasizes that sustainable food agriculture areas are among the areas that must be protected in regional spatial planning. Therefore, spatial planning policies play a crucial role in protecting agricultural land from being easily converted to non-agricultural uses.

Agricultural land conversion in Bima City has occurred in almost every area that was previously productive farming and rice fields. Agricultural land previously used for food production has slowly been converted into housing, shops, roads, public facilities, and other commercial buildings. This situation has caused the area of agricultural land in Bima City to continue to shrink year after year.

As a form of implementation of national policy, the Bima City Government has established Bima City Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022 and Bima City Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2024. These regional regulations aim to protect sustainable food agriculture areas and control the use of space so that it does not conflict with the function of agricultural areas.

However, in practice, the implementation of agricultural land protection in Bima City has not been optimal. One of the main problems is the weak effectiveness of monitoring agricultural land conversion. Furthermore, there is a legal conflict ( conflict of norms ) between agricultural land protection policies and regional development and investment policies. The local government is faced with two divergent interests: protecting sustainable food agriculture areas and promoting economic growth through urban development and investment.

Another problem is the vagueness of the norm regarding the category of "public interest" in Article 44 of Law Number 41 of 2009. This provision provides an exception to the prohibition on converting agricultural land for public purposes, but does not specify the specifics of the public interest. As a result, development is often used as a justification for changing the function of agricultural land.

Furthermore, there is a legal vacuum regarding the technical regulations for monitoring and enforcing sanctions against violations of agricultural land conversion in the region. Although Bima City has a Regional Regulation on the Land Use and Management of Agricultural Land (LP2B), the implementation of technical regulations, such as integrated monitoring mechanisms, data-based control systems, and the application of administrative sanctions, has not been optimal. Another emerging issue is the policy disharmony between spatial planning and regional development. Changes in spatial planning policies that follow urban development often result in productive agricultural areas being converted into non-agricultural cultivation areas.

Based on these conditions, there is a gap between das sollen and das sein , namely between the legal norms governing the protection of agricultural land and the reality of its implementation in society. Normatively, the protection of sustainable food agricultural land has been clearly regulated through various laws and regulations, but empirically, the conversion of agricultural land in Bima City continues to occur. Therefore, this study is important to assess the effectiveness of sustainable food agricultural land protection against land conversion in Bima City and analyze various legal issues that influence its implementation.

Research Methods

To solve a problem that is the main topic of discussion, this study uses empirical legal research. In empirical legal research , law is conceptualized as a social institution that is actually linked to other social variables. The sources of empirical legal research consist of primary legal materials, secondary legal materials, and tertiary legal materials.

Discussion

1. Implementation Of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Protection In Bima City

Legal protection policies for food cropland are implemented both preventively and repressively. Preventive legal protection is implemented to prevent the conversion of food cropland. Preventive efforts include protecting sustainable food cropland (LP2B). LP2B is agricultural land designated for protection and consistent development to produce food for national food independence, resilience, and sovereignty.

Based on data from the Bima City KP2B area, it appears that LP2B areas are spread across several areas that still have productive rice fields, particularly in the Raba, Rasanae Timur, and Asakota sub-districts. Raba sub-district is one of the areas with a fairly dominant LP2B area, especially in Kendo sub-district, which has a rice field area of 104,680 hectares. Meanwhile, Rasanae Timur sub-district also has quite large agricultural areas in several sub-districts such as Dodu and Nungga.

The data shows that the designation of LP2B in Bima City is focused on areas with agricultural potential and irrigation networks that support food production. Normatively, this situation demonstrates that the local government has integrated agricultural area protection into spatial planning policies through the spatial designation of LP2B areas.

However, research also shows that several areas with LP2B areas are still experiencing development pressure and potential land conversion, particularly in urban areas such as Asakota. This situation suggests that although LP2B areas have been spatially designated in the RTRW and RDTR, the implementation of agricultural land protection in the field still requires more optimal monitoring and control of spatial use.

In its implementation in Bima City, these provisions were then implemented through Bima City Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022 concerning the Protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land, which was harmonized with Bima City Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2024 concerning the Bima City Spatial Planning Plan for 2024–2044. The integration of these two regulations shows that the LP2B protection policy does not stand alone, but is part of the regional spatial planning system. Through the RTRW, the regional government determines agricultural areas that must be maintained as part of the spatial pattern, while the LP2B Regional Regulation provides regulations regarding the protection, control, and supervision mechanisms for these areas to ensure they continue to function as sustainable food agricultural areas.

Identify the author's findings in the data and analysis results, namely:

1. The Bima City Regional Government already has a special regulation, namely Bima City Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022 concerning the Protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B), so the main issue is not the absence of a regulation, but rather the implementation and strengthening of its policies.

2. There is competition between the use of agricultural land and the non-agricultural sector in Bima City, especially due to the conversion of land into residential/housing areas, which triggers the narrowing of agricultural land and a farmer crisis.

3. Land conversion and the reduction of agricultural land remain a real threat to regional food security, as agricultural land continues to shrink and local governments encourage land optimization and protection through the LP2B policy.

Bima City's LP2B Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022 specifically regulates the protection of sustainable food agricultural land through aspects of planning, determination, development, utilization, control, supervision, financing, and community participation. Meanwhile, the Bima City RTRW Regional Regulation 2024–2044 serves as the basis for spatial planning that determines regional utilization patterns, including the designation of sustainable food agricultural areas within the regional spatial structure and pattern. Thus, the RTRW serves as a spatial foundation, while the LP2B Regional Regulation serves as an instrument for sectoral protection of food agricultural land.

The link between the LP2B Regional Regulation and the Bima City Spatial Plan (RTRW) is also evident in the integration of sustainable food agriculture areas into regional spatial planning documents. Based on the integration of KP2B and LP2B within the RTRW, the area of sustainable food agriculture areas in Bima City, as listed in the 2024–2044 RTRW, covers approximately 2,164 hectares. This area is designated as a protected area to support regional food security and maintain the sustainability of community agricultural activities.

By integrating the LP2B Regional Regulation and the Bima City Spatial Plan (RTRW), the local government has a stronger legal basis for controlling agricultural land conversion. This is crucial given that Bima City currently faces significant pressure from residential development and the non-agricultural sector, potentially reducing the area of productive agricultural land. Therefore, synchronizing spatial planning and agricultural land protection policies is a strategic step in maintaining food security, farmer welfare, and sustainable regional development.

Based on the results of an interview with Yuliati Kurnia, Head of Spatial Planning, Public Works and Spatial Planning Department of Bima City, it was stated that " the determination of the LP2B area in Bima City is carried out by referring to the Regional Spatial Planning (RTRW) document and the results of identification of agricultural land that is still productive. According to the source, the area that has been designated as LP2B is part of the spatial pattern that must be maintained so that any proposed change in land function must pay attention to the provisions of the RTRW and obtain approval according to the statutory regulatory mechanism. The source also explained that the RTRW functions as an instrument for controlling spatial utilization, so that every development plan located in the LP2B area will be evaluated for its compliance with the spatial pattern before being given a recommendation or approval ."

This statement demonstrates that the Bima City Government has normatively integrated LP2B protection into its regional spatial planning policy. This aligns with Article 25 of Law Number 41 of 2009, which mandates the establishment of LP2B within the city through Regional Regulations and serves as the basis for drafting zoning regulations. Thus, the RTRW serves not only as a development planning document but also as a legal instrument for controlling land use to ensure it remains in accordance with its designated spatial functions.

This opinion is also in line with the Arba doctrine, which explains that spatial planning and land use constitute a unified legal system aimed at controlling land use to ensure it aligns with its designated spatial functions. Therefore, the success of LP2B protection is determined not only by the designation of areas in the RTRW (Regional Spatial Plan), but also by the effectiveness of spatial use control through zoning regulations, licensing mechanisms, and oversight of all forms of land conversion.

Yuliati Kurnia also stated that " the availability of reserve agricultural land in Bima City is relatively limited due to the city's small area and the high pressure of urban development. Therefore, the Bima City Government is prioritizing efforts to maintain productive agricultural land over developing new agricultural areas ."

Data Source: Author's Analysis Based on Bima City Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2024 concerning Bima City's RTRW, Bima City Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022 concerning LP2B, Bima City Agriculture Service data for 2024, and researcher interview results.

The table shows that sustainable food agriculture areas in Bima City are spread across several sub-districts with distinct characteristics. Raba and Rasanae Timur sub-districts still possess relatively extensive agricultural land and serve as centers of regional food production. Therefore, these two areas have been designated as priority areas for LP2B protection in the Bima City Spatial Plan (RTRW).

Meanwhile, the districts of Asakota, Mpunda, and Rasanae Barat are experiencing rapid urban development, increasing pressure on agricultural land. Although some agricultural land in these areas remains protected as LP2B (Land Use Area), the potential for land conversion remains a challenge for local governments.

Based on research on the integration of the LP2B policy with the Bima City Regional Spatial Plan (RTRW), it is clear that the local government has undertaken various efforts to maintain agricultural land by designating protected areas in spatial planning documents. The designation of sustainable food agriculture areas in several sub-districts demonstrates the local government's commitment to controlling spatial use and preventing uncontrolled conversion of agricultural land.

2. The Impact Of Land Function Conversion On Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Protection In Bima City

Bima City, an autonomous region in West Nusa Tenggara Province, has unique characteristics: it is an urban area that relies heavily on the agricultural sector as its economic base. Its geographical location, surrounded by hills and productive lowlands, makes it a strategic food production center in eastern Indonesia. However, with population growth and infrastructure development, agricultural land in Bima City faces increasing pressure from various non-agricultural interests. The impacts of the conversion of sustainable agricultural land in Bima City include:

1. Decrease in Agricultural Land Area and Availability

The most direct and measurable impact of agricultural land conversion is the reduction in the area available for food production. Data from the Bima City Agriculture Office for 2024 shows that the area of rice fields in Bima City continues to decline consistently. In 2023, the existing rice field area was recorded at 1,502.05 hectares, and in 2024, it dropped to 1,492.69 hectares, a total loss of 9.36 hectares in one year alone. The most significant reduction occurred in Mpunda District with a reduction of 31.20 hectares and Asakota District with a reduction of 8.36 hectares.

The knock-on effect of this reduction in land area is a significant loss of agricultural production. According to data from the Bima City Agriculture Office, the total food production lost due to land conversion in 2024 reached 166,073 tons. This figure illustrates that land conversion is not merely a change in land use but also a loss of food production capacity that cannot be easily replaced. In the long term, this trend will further burden Bima City's local food security, especially given its continued population growth.

Mulyani et al., in their research on the dynamics of rice field conversion in Indonesia, emphasized that permanent loss of rice fields has a dual impact: the loss of current production capacity and the loss of future production potential, both of which are very difficult to restore. This finding is highly relevant to the conditions in Bima City, where rice fields that have been converted into residential or commercial areas can almost never be returned to productive agricultural land. From a legal perspective, this situation emphasizes the urgency of LP2B protection as a preventive, rather than reactive, instrument.

When viewed from the data of KP2B of Bima City, from the total LP2B set at 845.18 hectares, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth evaluation whether all of the land areas are still in a protected condition according to their designation, considering the pressure of conversion that continues to occur. ⁵ In addition, there is LCP2B covering an area of 1,318.99 hectares which is an agricultural land reserve, but the potential for conversion of this reserve land cannot be ignored, especially in areas directly bordering rapidly developing urban areas such as Raba District and East Rasanae District.

1. Impact on Irrigation Infrastructure and Water Systems

One impact often overlooked in the issue of agricultural land conversion is the damage and disruption of the irrigation networks that serve as the backbone of rice paddy farming. In Bima City, the irrigation network supporting rice paddy farming includes three main irrigation systems: the Raba Irrigation System, the Lewi Irrigation System, and the Tongge Irrigation System. Agricultural land conversion that occurs along irrigation lines can cut or damage water channels that flow downstream, so the impact is felt not only by the land directly converted, but also by other lands that depend on the same irrigation network.

Government Regulation Number 20 of 2006 concerning Irrigation requires regional governments to maintain and preserve irrigation networks to ensure optimal function. This obligation is part of the regional government's authority, derived from statutory regulations. However, when land conversion occurs around irrigation networks without adequate controls, the regional government not only fails to fulfill its irrigation maintenance obligations but also fails to exercise its authority to prevent damage caused by land conversion. These are two interrelated forms of authority failure.

Yudhistira et al., in their international study on the impact of land conversion on food security in urban Southeast Asia, found that damage to irrigation networks due to land conversion can reduce downstream land productivity by 40-60 percent, even without any physical conversion of the land. This finding suggests that losses from land conversion are far greater than immediately apparent, as they encompass a domino effect on the integrated irrigation system. In a legal context, this strengthens the argument that land conversion control must be carried out by considering systemic impacts, not just the direct impacts on the land parcels concerned.

1. Socio-Economic Impact on Farmers and Communities

Agricultural land conversion not only impacts the physical dimensions of reduced productive land area, but also has significant socioeconomic impacts for farmers and communities dependent on the agricultural sector. Data from the Bima City Agriculture Service shows that a number of smallholder farmers do not own their own land and are highly vulnerable to the impacts of land conversion, particularly in the Raba and Asakota Districts.

In his research on the socioeconomic impacts of agricultural land conversion in urban areas, Eko Murdiyanto found that agricultural land conversion is almost always accompanied by the marginalization of farmers from access to cultivated land. In Bima City, this phenomenon is evident in the Raba and Asakota sub-districts, where hundreds of smallholder farmers lost access to their land after the owners sold it to housing developers or commercial investors.

From an international perspective, Li Xian et al.'s research on the social impacts of agricultural land conversion in developing urban areas found that the marginalization of farmers due to land conversion not only leads to economic poverty but also to the loss of social capital and agricultural culture that have been passed down through generations. This finding aligns with conditions in Bima City, where farmers' knowledge of water management, the selection of drought-resistant local rice varieties, and organic fertilization techniques based on local ingredients is threatened with extinction as the number of active farmers decreases.

From an authority theory perspective, the Bima City government has the authority to provide protection to farmers affected by land conversion through various policy instruments, including compensation programs, professional change training, and support for access to capital. Compensation provisions for farmers whose land is converted are also explicitly stipulated in Bima City Regulation No. 1 of 2022, which requires the conversion of community-owned LP2B (Land Use Plantation Facilities) to be accompanied by adequate compensation.

1. Impact on Local Food Security

The most important dimension of the impact of agricultural land conversion is its implications for local food security in Bima City. Law Number 18 of 2012 concerning Food defines food security as a condition of fulfilling food needs for the state down to the individual, which is reflected in the availability of sufficient food, both in quantity and quality, safe, diverse, nutritious, equitable, and affordable and does not conflict with the religion, beliefs, and culture of the community to be able to live a healthy, active, and productive life in a sustainable manner.

The production loss due to land conversion in Bima City in 2024, which reached 166,073 tons, directly impacts the reduction in local food availability. In the context of food security, every ton of food production lost due to land conversion must be replaced from other sources, meaning increased dependence on food supplies from other regions. This condition contradicts the spirit of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2015 concerning Food Security and Nutrition, which emphasizes that local governments are responsible for ensuring food availability in their regions through various efforts, including the protection and development of agricultural land.

Research by Nkrumah-Boateng and Atampugre published in an international journal on food security and land conversion in developing urban areas confirms that the decline in local food production due to land conversion not only creates availability issues but also increases vulnerability to price fluctuations and disruptions to food distribution chains. This finding is particularly relevant to Bima City, given its relatively isolated geographic location in eastern Indonesia, which places it at greater risk of dependence on external food supplies than cities in Java or Sumatra.

The Bima City Agriculture Office also noted that local food diversification is also threatened by land conversion. Various local agricultural commodities besides rice, including corn, soybeans, peanuts, and various vegetables, have also experienced significant production declines due to the shrinking of dryland available for secondary crops and horticulture. This situation strengthens the argument that LP2B protection is not only about maintaining rice production, but also about maintaining the entire diverse agricultural food system as the foundation of local food security.

Conclusion

The protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) against land conversion in Bima City has a strong legal basis, namely through Law Number 41 of 2009 concerning the Protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land, Bima City Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2022 concerning the Protection of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land, and Bima City Regional Regulation Number 4 of 2024 concerning the Bima City Spatial Planning Plan for 2024–2044. These regulations have provided a legal basis for local governments in determining LP2B areas, controlling spatial utilization, conducting supervision, and providing protection for agricultural land. However, based on research results and interviews with relevant agencies, the implementation of LP2B protection in Bima City has not been fully effective. This is due to the ongoing pressure of urban development, the high demand for land for settlements and economic activities, suboptimal coordination between agencies, weak supervision of spatial utilization, and the suboptimal enforcement of sanctions for violations of land conversion.

Agricultural land conversion in Bima City has a significant impact on the sustainability of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) protection. Research results show that land conversion has reduced the area of productive rice fields, decreased food production capacity, increased pressure on LP2B areas, and has the potential to disrupt regional food security. In addition to impacting physical aspects such as shrinking agricultural land area, land conversion also has social, economic, and environmental impacts, such as reduced farmer livelihoods, increased economic value of non-agricultural land, disruption of irrigation systems, and reduced ecological function of agricultural land.

Suggestion

The Bima City Government needs to strengthen the implementation of the Regional Regulation on the LP2B by implementing stricter oversight of spatial use and agricultural land conversion. This oversight needs to be carried out in an integrated manner between the local government, the agriculture office, the spatial planning office, the land office, and law enforcement officials to effectively prevent violations within the LP2B area.

The Bima City Government needs to increase farmer empowerment and protection through economic incentives, assistance with agricultural production facilities, subsidies, guaranteed agricultural prices, and enhanced market access. These policies are necessary to ensure the agricultural sector continues to provide viable economic value and prevent communities from being forced to convert their agricultural land.

Community participation needs to be increased in the LP2B protection process, both through social monitoring, reporting violations of spatial use, and community involvement in the formulation of regional spatial planning policies. Public legal awareness regarding the importance of agricultural land protection also needs to be continuously improved through ongoing education and outreach. For future researchers, it is recommended to conduct more in-depth research related to the effectiveness of law enforcement against violations of agricultural land conversion, economic analysis of land conversion, and geographic information system (GIS)-based studies to obtain a more comprehensive spatial picture of land use changes in Bima City.