Crossing the Community-Government Border: The Case of Citrus Biosecurity Management in West Timor, Indonesia

Abstract

Huanglongbing (HLB) is currently threatening citrus biosecurity in West Timor, Indonesia, but the local governments retain their position that law has been enacted and efforts have been made in the best way possible to prevent incursions. In the case of research findings discussed in this chapter, local communities are in fact aware of threats posed by HLB and because the disease is graft transmissible, urge local governments to stop distributing grafted seedlings as part of planting area extension and intensified cultivation programme. However, local governments refuse, arguing that propagation of grafted seedlings by commercial nurseries makes inspection more manageable and the distribution programme will encourage growers to plant disease-free seedlings. In fact, the local governments lack the capability to strictly enforce the supervision and the ability in ‘listening’ to community voices. These prevent the local governments from being able to cope with citrus decline in the region regardless of years of efforts that have been made to extend planting areas and intensify citrus cultivation. The unwillingness of the local governments to communicate the problem with local communities has create an unseen social border that prevents local communities from being able to access the necessary information and from using their local knowledge to effectively deal with the incursion. To benefit the local communities, an alternative approach to citrus biosecurity management is discussed. The approach requires the local governments to acknowledge the presence of the disease and to adopt a policy that encourages all stakeholders, including local universities and the local office of the central quarantine agency, to participate in an effort to develop a management programme that is not only scientifically sound but also socially acceptable.