JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING0001

No Man's Farm

In a city with virtually no space for agricultural activities, residents of Kampung Kebun Bayam in Tanjung Priok, a subdistrict in the northern part of Indonesian capital of Jakarta, are reviving the tradition of farming. Their initiative began in the early 2000s when several residents converted a plot of neglected land into a vegetable garden. Today, the former landfill has transformed into one of North Jakarta’s most fertile areas.

Today, the former landfill has transformed into one of North Jakarta’s most fertile areas.

Local residents obtained authorization from the Government of Jakarta to use the idle land to grow vegetables. They initially took up farming for their daily needs, but over time they began supplying spinach and kangkung to local markets around Tanjung Priok.

JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING0002
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING0003

As the climate crisis continues to worsen, urban farming communities play an increasingly important role in supporting food security for themselves and nearby communities. This humble group of farmers have firsthand knowledge of cultivating land in their village, and for several generations they have lived in reciprocal harmony with nature. 

From the hands of these farmers, a new hope arises. The urban farm is a breath of fresh air in an area otherwise known for being a rough neighborhood. But perhaps it makes sense: having lived on borrowed land for so long, perhaps the way to fight is to cultivate.

JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING0005
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING012
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING013
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING008
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING014
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING017
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING010
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING0004
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING011
JAKARTA_URBAN_FARMING021