Indonesia: Potato production cause of landslides, research finds

Potatoes are partly to blame for a recent landslide in Wonosobo, Central Java, as farmers engage in unsafe planting practices that harm the environment to try to reap high prices amid the area’s status as Indonesia’s largest potato producer, the results of a study revealed last Thursday. The short potato roots are a major factor in soil erosion leading to landslides in Wonosobo, a study by the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) entitled “Forest Ownership and Management in Indonesia” revealed. “Domestic potato prices rose an average of 35 percent between 2010 to 2014. Because of this farmers are driven to plant crops that put themselves and surrounding communities at risk,” CIPS Trade and Livelihood researcher Hizkia Respatiadi said in a statement sent to thejakartapost.com. More