Village-forest-gardens in West Java

Indonesian village-forest-gardens are distinctive types of agroforestry land use. They are species rich and possess sophisticated spatial structures and dynamics. Although mainly centered on subsistence production surplus products can provide a valuable cash income. Sustained yields are achieved under the present system of home-gardens and village-forest-gardens without any significant input of fertilizers or pesticides. They represent, for the mass of the rural population, the only asset for survival and material autonomy. Until recently, they have been studied only cursorily but these systems, which are far from "primitive," have many lessons to teach, and they are still susceptible to improvement if we learn enough about them. The two types of gardens are described in some detail and their importance to the farmer is discussed. (author)