Sci&Tech History

In bio fuel development in Indonesia, as mentioned by Executive Director of Kreatif Energi Indonesia enterprise, Johan Begin Bukit, the information that been received by the farmer is not precise. The farmers think that jatropha is similar with ‘planting gold’ so they set a high price for jatropha, whereas the early concept of jatropha development is as an interval plant in unused area. A similar concept also proposed by actor A and actor B that placed jatropha as an element in bio refinery value chain, so economic value of jatropha can’t be obtained only from its oil, but also from their side product. Shifting from bio refinery concept which designed to increase farmer income into jatropha trader has raised a new dependency between farmer and buyer. This dependency can be seen in Garut farmer case that cut through their jatropha plantation because the business man who promises to buy their harvest doesn’t return. Beside social-politic aspects, success of bio fuel development in Indonesia also influenced by knowledge assimilations between local and non-local. According to head of Partnership Program in Research of Crumbs Crop and Plant for Industry Institution (BALITTRI), Ir. Dibyo, nowadays jatropha cultivation is full with euphoria and has no direction . Similarly, Johan said that the government hasn’t given an adequate direction to the farmer. Both of their statements indicate that there are no local knowledge that rises between farmer and party which introduce them to jatropha. A positive shifting occurs in actor C network. His involvement with the farmer has rise farmer awareness about the animal waste potential to generate energy and calculation of the money that s/he can save from fossil fuel that they used to buy. “I have to spent money once, and then use it (the reactor) for a long time,” said Omar, farmer that used actor C bio reactor in Lembang. The farmer ability to calculate the economic beneficiary is one of actor C goal, “I try to develop it, awareness that they can increase their efficiency and productivity in working. I’m only give one of the infrastructure. ” The situation change when the regional development or husbandry agencies start to give bio gas reactor to the farmer for free. Isam, one of actor C employee said that this aid has rise jealousy among the farmer, especially from they that don’t receive the reactor aid. This aid also influence relation between farmer and the reactor, in farmer society that buy the product, there are some awareness of the reactor economic value, while in the society that get the reactor as an aid, that awareness doesn’t rise. This situation represented in their daily activity to maintain the technology. In the first society, technology has become part of their economic productivity and it performance keep being watch, while in the second society whenever the technology has broken, they return to their old habit by using fossil fuel.

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