Agricultural land change and its farmers’ perception in the north coast region of West Java Province, Indonesia

Abstract The global decline in productive agricultural land due to urban development poses significant threats to food security, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. This challenge exists in Indonesia, while the relationship between agricultural land conversion and farmers’ perspectives remains poorly understood. This study investigates agricultural land conversion to urban areas in Indonesia’s West Java Province and examines farmers’ perceptions of this change. This research aims to analyze the distribution of agricultural land conversion, assess farmers’ perceptions of agricultural land’s function and its conversion, and determine how these perceptions are related. The methodology combined land use/cover change analysis 2018-2023 using 10 m Dynamic World raster data (available free on Google Earth Engine) with farmer surveys using a Likert scale questionnaire. The results revealed that Bekasi, Kerawang, and Cirebon Regencies experienced the most significant agricultural land conversion over the five years. The study found that farmers generally maintain positive perceptions of farmland functions (82.1%) and understand land conversion (80.5%). Regression analysis showed that farmers’ perception of agricultural land functions influenced their views on land conversion by 47.8%. This research contributes to understanding the relationship between farmers’ perspectives and agricultural land conversion, which is crucial for developing effective land-use policies in rapidly urbanizing regions.