Community Empowerment in Agribusiness Governance at the Citarik Sub Watershed in Tanjungwangi Village, Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency. West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Community empowerment is an effort to enable and make people independent so that they can
fulfill their life needs and interests, as well as improve their standard of living by utilizing the
resources they have. Agricultural activities in highland areas must wisely consider the balance of
nature while maintaining conservation areas and not destroying productive agricultural regions.
This research was conducted using quantitative methods and descriptive statistics with survey
methods. The study was carried out in the upstream area of the Citarik sub-watershed,
Tanjungwangi Village, Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency. The research location was chosen
purposively with the consideration that apart from having great economic potential, its primary
function is as a buffer area to store water reserves through the existence of conservation forests.
Primary data was obtained through in-depth interview techniques, focused discussions,
observation, and process documentation. Interviews using questionnaires were conducted with
respondents selected randomly proportionally with a sample size of 120 farmers. The design
used in this research is descriptive quantitative. The data analysis technique uses different test
analyses intending to connect changes in awareness and ability to act after empowering farmers
on conservation land in the Upstream Sub Watershed of Citarik. Research result showed the
change in awareness has been good, but there is a need for continued education related to
specific issues upstream of watershed Citarik regarding preserving conservation areas and
keeping the production landscape sustainable. Farmers' ability to act has also increased towards
improvement, but one aspect that still needs to be stronger is action to carry out environmentally
friendly agricultural businesses. Empowering farmers on conservation land in the upper reaches
of the Citarik watershed shows that changes in awareness have a significant influence on farmers'
ability to act in protecting the environment of conservation land