Innovations in the Indonesian uplands

Are there real alternatives to slash-and-burn in the tropical uplands? If alternative technologies exist, where are they applied, for how long, and by whom? Are they local, or do they have a wide implementation? How do farmers and governments respond to concerns about upland environment degradation and its negative impact on yields, production, and agricultural revenues? What can be learned from a large and diversified country such as Indonesia? These questions represent the starting point of this book. Over the years they have also provoked various responses from experts and researchers. Among these responses emerge three different perspectives on slash-and-burn and its alternatives. The first objective of this book is to record case studies that illustrate and demonstrate the various forms of innovations (or "agricultural revolutions") in the uplands, especially in Indonesia, and to understand how these were built. Then comes the real challenge: using this understanding to suggest adjustments to existing policies that are favorable to or support upland smallholders. (Résumé d'auteur