Year: 2026 | Month: April | Volume: 13 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 400-410
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260440
Environmental Ethics and Local Wisdom in Sustainable Agroforestry in Indonesia
Bontor L. Tobing1, Sukirman Rahim2, Abdul Haris Panai3, Marini S. Hamidun4, Wahyuni K. Baderan5
1Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
2,3,4,5Postgraduate Program, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Gorontalo, Indonesia
Corresponding Author: Bontor L. Tobing
ABSTRACT
Agroforestry is increasingly recognised as a central strategy for sustainable forest and land management in Indonesia. Its effectiveness is attributed not only to technical design but also to environmental ethics, local wisdom, and the moral and institutional frameworks that govern resource utilisation. Examining these dimensions elucidates why certain communities achieve greater success in sustaining forests and land resources.
This study used a comparative qualitative approach. It drew on literature review, conceptual analysis, and cross-case comparison of agroforestry systems in Indonesia. The analysis looked at how environmental values, traditional knowledge, and local institutions affect the ecological and social outcomes of agroforestry.
The results make it clear that communities with strong environmental values consistently adopt land use practices that effectively protect forests and land over time. In these communities, agroforestry leads to increased household income, improved food security, enhanced soil and water protection, greater biodiversity support, and better climate change adaptation. Moreover, local wisdom offers practical land management strategies, while customary institutions transform ethical values into enforceable rules and shared community responsibilities. Overall, agroforestry produces the best results where social and ecological values are widely shared and drive both productivity and sustainability.
The findings show that sustainable forest and land management needs a shift from exploiting nature to working together with it. By focusing on environmental ethics, this research highlights the importance of ethical foundations for successful community-based agroforestry and for creating policies that fit local contexts.
Keywords: sustainable agroforestry; environmental ethics; local wisdom; forest and land management; watershed conservation; sustainable development
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