Farmer Preferences on Contested Land Use in Agroforestry Landscapes: The RESORTES Game Implementation in Indonesia

Background Achieving sustainable landscape management in complex social-ecological systems necessitates a holistic evaluation and a participatory approach. Agroforestry is broadly believed to be a sustainable land-use practice. However, the existence of agroforestry systems remains uncertain, as it is influenced by socio-economic factors that depend on farmers as landowners. Objectives This study evaluated (1) chosen land use (LU) systems by agroforestry and crop farmers, (2) the consistency of LU choice, and (3) social factors influencing the relationship and leader role on the farmer decision-making process using a serious game. Methods We adapted the RESORTES board game to test applicability to the Indonesian landscape and implement the game as a research tool in the Malang context, Indonesia. Three game sessions were conducted involving the representatives of agroforestry and crop farmers of various ages, including the societal leader figure in two villages. All participants choices and (social) interactions during the session were recorded and analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Results The RESORTES game was played appropriately in all sessions with a minor adjustment to the game, attributed to better matching the local relevance. The result showed that farmers’ preference for LU choices represented their real-life practices. Approximately 70% of plots selected by farmers in both villages were tree-based LU (agroforestry), with relatively high consistency across game rounds. Younger farmers tended to choose crop-based LU due to more economic benefits provided by the system. Older farmers were more firm on tree-based (agroforestry) systems to fulfil their daily needs; they also benefitted from less labour and the low operational costs needed by agroforestry systems. Discussion The relations (relatedness index) among farmers and the role of the leader (respected figure) became important factors in building good communications and trust, which influenced farmers’ decision-making on collaborating to maintain or change their LU. These key factors could be useful for community-based LU planning in the future, which takes into account local preferences.