Preserving farmland in Sleman Regency, Indonesia: A spatial analysis of farmers’ decision making

Population increase tends to put pressure on land including farmland. Yet farmland conversion is not something to be conveniently ignored not just because it may pose a threat to food sufficiency and environmental integrity, but also because of the economic dilemma it brings to farmers . Farmers thus hold the key in the decision to convert or not to convert their farmland to non-agricultural uses. To understand some of the dynamics that play out in such decision making this study examined the attitudinal pattern of 383 farmers in Sleman Regency, Indonesia. The sampled farmers were spatially classified into three zones where Zone 1 represented the area with high level of conversion, Zone 2 medium and Zone 3 low. The field data were then analysed and tested with logistic binary models and the Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) results presented in tables and maps. Results of the analysis reveal variations in the farmers attitudes with regard to farmland conversion in the study area although age and education are not the determinants.