Loes van Rooijen: studying biofuel development in Indonesia
Loes van Rooijen, postdoc researcher at the Van Vollenhoven Institute, has just returned from a field visit to Indonesia. She describes her five months in the Sikka district: biofuel development, hot women with sunglasses, the ‘edge’ and the best natural honey ever.
Five months in Indonesia
As a PhD researcher at the Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Development, Loes participates in the ‘JARAK’ programme that deals with the commoditisation of an alternative biofuel in Indonesia. This programme studies Jatropha, previously an ordinary hedge plant, that because of its specific characteristics has become a candidate for fossil fuel replacement. ‘I spent from June to December 2012 doing fieldwork in Indonesia, visiting places like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta (Java) and Kupang. Most of my time I spent in and around Maumere, the capital city of Sikka District (Flores), NTT Province.’
What were you doing there?
The Jatropha plant: a local candidate for biofuel replacement.
‘My research focuses on how districts in Eastern Indonesia react to national regulations related to biofuel development, and the impact of these national regulations on access to land and water for small-scale farmers.’
‘Most of my time was spent interviewing local officials from the agricultural department, forestry service, public works, regional planning agency and other technical agencies. I tried to figure out how government services co-operate in developing a new sector that crosses institutional interests. I also interviewed NGOs working in the field of agricultural development and paid site visits to farmers’ fields.’
'The chaos and creativity of public transport'
A local minibus, crammed with passengers and produce.
‘I always enjoy the creativity and chaos of public transport when I go to another country, but the public transport buses or ‘bemos’ in Sikka really are an experience on their own. Besides the usual version of tropical transport (ramshackle minibuses, overcrowded with people, livestock and harvest produce), these buses are equipped with a blasting stereo system and decorated with technicolor windscreens picturing Jesus or hot women with sunglasses.’
What are the main differences between ‘here’ and ‘there’
‘Communication in particular could be a real problem. Access to internet is very limited (I learned about the meaning of ‘Edge’!). I was living in a place approximately 15 km out of town where my mobile phone signal was very intermittent. Some spots were known for their good reception and popular among locals, like a big rock or a specific cashew tree. In one village they even painted a spot on the ground to indicate the point where there was phone reception. The funny thing is that most people in Maumere town have a Facebook account, and internet cafés in town are abundant.’
What did you bring back from Flores?
‘Mainly great experiences and tons of paper! But also one or two regional products: traditional cloth from Sikka, woven by local women and coloured with natural dyes. And then there’s the natural honey from the forest; it truly is the best honey I have ever tasted. What else would you expect of honey from a place named “Flores” ?’
(15 February 2012)
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