Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 27 No. 3 (2026)

Agrobiodiversity and local wisdom of indigenous communities in food security in Eastern Priangan, West Java, Indonesia

ABDUL MUTOLIB (Master Program of Agribusiness, Graduate Program, Universitas Siliwangi. Jl. Siliwangi No. 24, Tasikmalaya 46115, West Java, Indonesia)
RIANTIN HIKMAH WIDI (Program of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Siliwangi. Jl. Tamansari, Tasikmalaya 46191, West Java, Indonesia)
CANDRA NURAINI (Program of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Siliwangi. Jl. Tamansari, Tasikmalaya 46191, West Java, Indonesia)
ALI RAHMAT (National Research and Innovation Agency. Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km. 46, Bogor 16911, West Java, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Apr 2026

Abstract

Abstract. Mutolib A, Widi RH, Nuraini C, Rahmat A. 2026. Agrobiodiversity and local wisdom of indigenous communities in food security in Eastern Priangan, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 27 (3): d270318. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d270318. Food security remains a persistent global challenge, shaped by population growth, climate change, and increasing pressure on natural resources. In Indonesia, despite exceptional biological and cultural diversity, food systems are increasingly threatened by land conversion, environmental degradation, and dietary homogenization. This study investigates how agrobiodiversity, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and social capital contribute to strengthening household food security in Kampung Naga, an indigenous Sundanese community in Eastern Priangan, West Java, Indonesia. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating biodiversity inventories, thematic analysis of interviews and participant observations, and a social capital survey involving 50 household respondents. Agrobiodiversity was assessed through species identification across major food categories, while social capital was measured using five dimensions—trust, social networks, social norms, participation, and reciprocity—on a four-point Likert scale. Results show that the community maintains a high diversity of food plant species, including tubers and staple foods, fruits, spices and seasonings, leafy and green vegetables, and vegetables and legumes, which enhance dietary diversity, nutritional adequacy, and livelihood resilience. Traditional ecological knowledge informs sustainable agricultural practices such as intercropping, crop rotation, and food preservation, while ritualized expressions of gratitude embed agriculture within cultural and spiritual values. Household and communal food barns further strengthen food stability and collective risk management. Social capital analysis revealed relatively high mean scores for trust (3.40) and social networks (3.45) on a 1-4 scale, indicating strong interpersonal reliability, dense social ties, and effective cooperation in food-related activities. Together, agrobiodiversity and social capital synergistically reinforce the four dimensions of food security-availability, access, utilization, and stability-forming an integrated, resilient, and socially embedded food system. These findings highlight the enduring relevance of indigenous knowledge and institutions in sustaining food security and suggest that strengthening social capital can serve as a strategic policy entry point for designing inclusive, community-based food security interventions in Indonesia and comparable socioecological contexts.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

biodiv

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology

Description

The Biodiversitas Journal was first published in 2000 by the Department of Biology, FMNS, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia, then in 2006 it was co-published by the Society for Indonesian Biodiversity and that department; since 2017 it was also hosted by Smujo. From 2003-2012 it was ...