Adoption of Local Knowledge in Regional Biosecurity Development: Papua Case Study

Papua is the most easterly province of Indonesia. Its uniqueness, both ecologically and anthropologically, makes it a place of special meaning for Indonesia. The region is dominated by tropical forest and inhabited by indigenous tribes that continue practising their indigenous knowledge in farming and other aspects of life. In terms of population, Papua has one of the largest proportions of agricultural workers in the world. Local people continue to practise their complex traditional rituals through their traditional and ecologically efficient farming systems. These systems employ more ecologically-friendly biosecurity controls than the modern chemically-based systems. Their farming history started in the period before banana, sugar cane and root crop plantations were introduced (Muller, Mengenal Papua [Understanding Papua]. Papua Province & PT Freeport Indonesia, Jayapura & Jakarta, 2008, p. 7). In 2001, after a long period of political uncertainty, a ‘special autonomy status’ was granted for the province. Later the province was divided into two provinces, the Papua province and Papua Barat (West Papua) province. Both provinces of Papua are perceived as enjoying a greater power in conducting policymaking, including biosecurity-related areas. This chapter considers the engagement of policy and legal frameworks in respect of policy and local knowledge, and how this occurs in practice. Using biosecurity management in two provinces of greater Papua as a case study, this chapter suggests ways international, national and local policy frameworks can engage with local knowledge to create a new development paradigm. The study has identified challenges and opportunities in developing a biosecurity management policy strategy at a regional level, influenced by international and national frameworks. The methodology for this research utilizes a qualitative research approach to analyze how these policy and legal frameworks might actually engage with local knowledge. The findings indicate the need for improving local government capacity in dealing with international policy frameworks and empowering the local communities to participate in Papuan development.