Social and Agrarian Conflict Due to Sago Industrialization

Abstract

This study examines the social and agrarian conflicts arising from sago industrialization in South Sorong Regency, with a focus on the relationship between PT Austindo Nusantara Jaya (ANJ) and indigenous communities, particularly the Imeko people. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observation, document analysis, and comparative analysis with Meranti Islands Regency. The findings reveal that sago industrialization has transformed customary communal land governance into concession-based industrial systems, resulting in reduced access to sago forests, increased agrarian conflict, and weakening of indigenous sovereignty. Although industrial expansion creates employment and market opportunities, economic benefits remain unevenly distributed, with corporations and intermediaries capturing most of the value. The study also identifies social fragmentation, gender-based labor displacement, and environmental degradation as major consequences of industrial expansion. Weak implementation of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) further intensifies conflict by limiting meaningful community participation. Comparative findings show that conflict in South Sorong is primarily agrarian and rooted in land dispossession, whereas conflict in Meranti is predominantly market-driven. The study concludes that sustainable sago development requires stronger recognition of customary rights, participatory governance, and community-centered economic models to ensure socially just and ecologically sustainable outcomes.