Subsistence Ethics of Smallholder Coffee Grower: Understanding the Dynamics of Agroforestry Development in the Upland of South Sumatra

The importance of agroforestry for smallholder farmers has been the discourse and policies of many parties worldwide. However, agroforestry development through land rehabilitation, reforestation and community forests for traditional coffee growers in the uplands has not shown success yet. In fact, some of the innovations that come from the outside can be received by farmers. The study aims to describe the innovation adoption experienced by traditional coffee farmers in Semende, with a focus on the development of agroforestry program. The research was conducted with descriptive phenomenological approach. The research findings indicate that the cautious attitude of farmers in accepting the innovation brought by the government congruent with the concept of Scott's subsistence ethics, but in a different context. For coffee farmers, subsistence ethics is a perspective on collateral sufficiency cash income to meet the needs of food and other necessities of life, so it does not depend on other people and socially can follow the life of the village, not only a security for could still life. Traditional coffee farmers in Semende just planted a few trees in the garden to avoid risks that could reduce the guarantee to live independently. We suggest that the policy of land rehabilitation, reforestation and agroforestry in coffee plantations plateau (upstream) as in Semende designed based on the principles that strengthen the self-reliance of farmers