Agricultural diversification among smallholder rattan cultivators in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Many developing countries are trying to promote agricultural diversification among smallholders because they feel that smallholders are too dependent upon a narrow range of crops. Fieldwork among smallholder rattan cultivators in southern Borneo, Indonesia, suggests that smallholders do maintain a poorly diversified portfolio of agricultural activities. Farmers rely heavily upon rattan because of its superior profitability. A number of economic and agronimic constraints however prevent farmers from diversifying out of rattan into other crops. (author)