The transition to organic rice farming in Lampung, Indonesia

Towards the end of 2024 we visited Pringsewu, an Indonesian farming community where rice farmers are transitioning towards organic rice farming, with exciting results and better returns.

Our organic rice farmers are selling for Rp. 20.000 per kg, while the conventional rice sells for only Rp. 12.000 per kg. Khairul, Researcher, Pringsewu

We wrote about this transformation to organic farming, which started more than a decade ago, in one of our past Blogs where we discussed with Khairul, a local researcher from Pringsewu, researchers from BRIN (Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency) and the local university, Politeknik Negeri Lampung (Polinela) about how the transition started and evolved. We also met with Dr Marindo Kurniawan, the Acting Regent of Pringsewu and Mr Dodi Bahar Fathory, S.T, the head of the Business Development Center of Pringsewu to discuss how local government can support this initiative.

More opportunities to support farmers with the transition to organic farming also arose at filming when in a meeting with BRIN, local university Polinela offered 50 hectares of land towards the project. And, Dr Kurniawan mentioned that a formal partnership between the Pringsewu government and BRIN could help develop organic farming further.

Centre: Dr. Marindo Kurniawan (Acting Regent of Pringsewu Regency); Centre left: Dodi Bahar Fathori (Head of Pringsewu Regency Business Development Center) along with videographer and researchers.

We are pleased to be able to share with you the exciting work being conducted in Pringsewu through three short videos:

Video 1:

The transition to organic rice farming in Lampung Province, Indonesia.

This video highlights how farmers in Pringsewu, Lampung Province, Indonesia are transitioning from conventional rice farming to organic rice farming. It also features an interview with a farmer who continues to practice conventional rice farming, providing insight into why he has not adopted organic farming methods despite the shift in his community.

Video 2:

The development of local organic fertiliser to support organic rice farming in Lampung Province, Indonesia.

This video highlights how farmers in Pringsewu, Lampung Province, Indonesia are transitioning from conventional rice farming to organic rice farming by using Ghaly organic fertilizer, which was developed by a local researcher as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. The video provides an overview of the components of the Ghaly organic fertilizer, results of studies on the impact of this fertilizer on soil health and crop productivity (sugarcane), and the need for a strategic approach to scaling production and promoting wider adoption.

Video 3:

Roles of men and women farmers in organic and non-organic rice in Lampung Province, Indonesia

Researchers at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in Indonesia discuss their study on the role of men and women farmers and empowerment in organic versus conventional rice production in Lampung Province, Indonesia. You can also see a brief presentation of the study at

Thank you to all the researchers, government officials, farmers and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia for supporting the development and production of these videos and for sharing your important work.