Publication

Peer-refereed Journal Articles   

1. Transmigration programs and migrant positions in rural community knowledge networks (with Petr Matous and Kirsten Martinus). Journal of Rural Studies, 2022. 

2. Comparative social work practices with youth refugees and asylum seekers: the European experiences (with Outi Linnossuo and Heli Marjanen). European Journal of Social Work, 2020. 

3. Does training location matter? Evidence from a randomized field experiment in Indonesia (with Aya Suzuki). Agricultural and Food Economics, 2020. 

4. Reducing agricultural income vulnerabilities through agroforestry training: evidence from a randomized field experiment in Indonesia (with Aya Suzuki). Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 2019. 

5. Effects of farmers' social networks on knowledge acquisition: lessons from agricultural training in rural Indonesia (with Aya Suzuki). Journal of Economic Structures, 2017. 

6. The role of motorized transport and mobile phones in the diffusion of agricultural information in Tanggamus Regency, Indonesia (with Petr Matous and Yasuyuki Todo). Transportation, 2015. 

Refereed Book Chapters

1. Company-community partnership and climate change adaptation practices: the case of smallholders' coffee farmers in Lampung (with Guenwoo Lee and Aya Suzuki), in Climate change research, policy, and actions in Indonesia: Science, adaptation, and mitigation. Springer Climate Series, 2021. 

2. Using Randomized Control Trials in socio-ecological systems: Adoption of agrisilvicultural practices in Indonesia (with Petr Matous), in Social Networks and the Environment (forthcoming). 

3. Global disruptions in seafood trade during COVID-19: The effects of mobility restrictions on crustacean exports from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam (with Guenwoo Lee, Heli Marjanen, and Erja Kettunen-Matilainen) in Frontiers of Geoeconomics, Geopolitics and Sustainability  (forthcoming).

Book Review

Policy Brief

Working Papers

1. Nexus of Migration and Regional Economic Development: Evidence from Finland Regions and Municipalities [draft available], a joint-work with Heli Marjanen.

Despite having the fourth lowest regional economic disparities among OECD countries, Finland's economic development has been largely contributed by the metropolitan Helsinki-centered growth, with the most regional disparities occurred in job indicator. This research examines whether the increasing immigration trends may change the landscape of the creation of new jobs disparities across the sub-national levels using the data of 19 regions and 311 municipalities during the period of 2013 to 2017. To do this, first we investigate the effects of foreign citizen shares upon the business establishment numbers, and secondly, we look at the migration effects upon total number of personnel and total turnover to see the magnitude of effects upon regional economic development. Employing spatial autoregressive (SAR) fixed-effects model, we found that foreign citizens contributed positively to the growth of nationwide enterprises, particularly in the number of manufacturing and constructions establishments which are the top sectors characterizing Finland's economy. However, further examination shows that enterprises in the migrant-concentrated regions tend to be associated with lower turnover. More regions should introduce policy measures towards the development of local capacity and the empowerment of local agents, including adopting policy actions aimed at fostering migrant entrepreneurship and attracting more foreign talents. 

2. Intra-Household Gender Dynamics and Sustainable Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Indonesian Rural Household [draft available], a joint-work with Guenwoo Lee and Heli Marjanen.

This study examines whether the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies is affected by the intra-household gender dynamics between a husband and wife, using a 3-year panel dataset of more than 300 coffee and cocoa-farming households in Lampung, Indonesia. We investigate the household members’ off-farm labor participation, off-farm income, formal education, and social networks. The results indicate that off-farm labor participation increases the propensity that a household adopts sustainable agricultural techniques and enlarges the husband’s agricultural networks. We also find that women are concerned more about the environmental issues whereas the men focus on productivity. The wife’s level of education and participation in formal work increase her decision-making power within the household, hence the increased probability of adoption even in the cases when the wife is not a full-time farmer. Our findings suggest that environmental protection programs may become more influential if the role of the women is better understood. As women are found to have distinct ways of looking at environmental issues compared to men, understanding these gendered perceptions and their consequences may drive adoption more effectively.

3. Can online communities of practice complement or substitute conventional agricultural extension services?: Evidence from a Facebook public group for shrimp farmers in Indonesia, a joint-work with Guenwoo Lee, Farikhah, Aya Suzuki, and Takashi Kurosaki. Working Paper e183, Tokyo Center for Economic Research, 2023. Under review.

Using a unique dataset of 1,574 shrimp farmers, comprising 1,331 non-members and 243 members of a public Facebook group, this study investigates whether OCoPs developed and managed by farmers can replace or compensate for traditional agricultural extension services. This study reveals that the correlation between the use of KUVI and conventional extension services, such as neighbouring farmers, family members, and extension workers, is not statistically significant in the full sample. However, excluding the non-KUVI members, the results indicate that those who obtain information from their neighbours or extension workers are more likely to use KUVI. Regarding the reliability of KUVI, those who obtain information from their neighbouring farmers or family members are less likely to choose KUVI as their most reliable source of information. This is consistent with the results obtained after excluding non-KUVI members. Furthermore, we found a negative and statistically significant correlation between the frequency of information sharing and inquiries and F2FE information sources such as neighbouring farmers and family members. The results suggest that OCoPs may not yet have penetrated farmers in Indonesia and act as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, conventional extension services.

4. Online Community of Practices (OCoP), personality traits, and the household coping strategies against external shocks: Evidence from Indonesia  [draft available], a joint-work with Guenwoo Lee.

The Online Community of Practice (OCoP) is an important learning platform for farming communities worldwide. However, its consequences on users’ personality traits and, consequently, behaviour in response to external shocks are not well understood. This study examined how OCoPs affect personality traits and responses to negative external shocks. We exploited unique survey data of Indonesian aquaculture communities comprising ~1,700 shrimp producers, with 273 (16.5%) being OCoP users and 1,385 (83.5%) non-users. We examined their personality indices, including self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control, perception of external shocks, and coping mechanisms. We found a negative correlation between OCoP use and personality indicators. As people discuss good farming practices in the OCoP, some may believe that they are not as successful as other members, resulting in a decline in their self-esteem. OCoP users are also less likely to have reported negative agricultural shocks in the year preceding the study, as they might have been alerted by other users about such potential bad farm shocks, thereby raising their awareness. While social media has been demonstrated to have detrimental effects on personality, OCoP usage might have more nuanced consequences on users’ psychological traits and responses to external shocks.

5. Caught in the Net: Unravelling Policy Challenges and Smuggling Dynamics in Indonesia’s Puerulus Exploitation, a joint-work with Yudha Adiputra, Suadi, and Andi Sandi. Under review.

This research investigates the policies governing puerulus exploitation in Indonesia, focusing on resource mismanagement, corruption, and legal disputes. We examine the impact of policies implemented between 2015 to 2022 on smuggling activities and explore the underlying motivations behind them. We further analyse the strategies employed by fishermen and other business groups involved in puerulus smuggling and their implications on the state's revenue. The research combines primary and secondary data analysis, including court rulings, and interviews conducted through questionnaires, with fishermen and puerulus dealers. The findings highlight the complex relationship between policy choices, smuggling incidents, and fishermen's involvement in illegal operations. The findings provide actionable recommendations for revising puerulus management policies, including the consideration of a complete ban on puerulus and lobster catch, the establishment of balanced quotas for local cultivation and export, and the implementation of targeted temporal restrictions to ensure long-term sustainability.

6. Capital relocation and sustainability objectives in Southeast Asia, a joint-work with Ratih Adiputri. Under review.

This study examines the process of capital relocations in Southeast Asia, focusing on two previous cases in Malaysia and in Myanmar, as well as the upcoming relocation of Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) on Borneo Island. The relocations have generated debates, particularly the Jakarta to IKN move, which has faced criticism for the lack of readiness and concerns over forest clearance. This paper assesses the Indonesian government’s efforts to establish a sustainable capital by comparing it to previous relocations and analysing relevant laws and regulations. By addressing the intersection of global sustainability concerns and local developmental issues, we highlight the challenges associated with capital relocation. The research methodology involves examining public documents such as laws, regulations, and handbooks related to capital relocation, as well as analysing top news articles using web-mining techniques to explore the strategies and narratives surrounding sustainability aspects in the relocation plan. The findings reveal a top-down and elitist approach to capital relocation in Southeast Asia, with limited public involvement and a lack of reconciled sustainability objectives at the local and global levels.

Work in Progress

1. Good and bad palm oil: The EU-Indonesia bargaining on palm oil policy, a joint-work with Erja Kettunen-Matilainen

Palm oil is a commodity used in the production of food ingredients, non-food consumer products, and biofuels, which is produced in Indonesia where smallholders account for over half of the total oil palm cultivating area. However, public debate in Europe had raised concerns about the effects of oil palm monoculture farming in Indonesia on deforestation, biodiversity loss, and social problems arising from violations of human rights and indigenous land rights. This resulted in the European parliament's decision in 2018 to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels in the EU. As a response, Indonesia filed a lawsuit against the EU at the World Trade Organization dispute settlement body (Reuters, 2019), with the final report expected in late 2023 (WTO, 2023). The aim of this paper is to identify the “good” and “bad” of palm oil in the arguments in EU-Indonesia bargaining. The purpose is to delineate the development of EU-Indonesia bargains and the viewpoints of participating stakeholders on palm oil. 

2. Utilizing Facebook groups as learning platforms for green technologies: Evidence from Indonesian shrimp farmers community, a joint-work with Guenwoo Lee, Farikhah, and Erja Kettunen-Matilainen

This study explores the effects of membership in the Indonesian Vannamei Shrimp Communities (KUVI), a prominent Online Community of Practice (OCOP) on Facebook, on the adoption of green technologies amongst 1,059 vannamei shrimp farmers. The dataset, collected in 2020 and 2022, includes both members and non-members. We investigated how KUVI membership influences technology adoption, distinguishing between traditional extensive farming –characterized by low stock density and minimal infrastructure–, and semi-/intensive farming, which involves higher stock densities and more advanced infrastructure, feed, input, and seed quality. In extensive farming, alternating farming with rice cultivation during the dry season is recommended to optimize pond usage. In semi-/intensive settings, several practices are promoted, namely the monitoring of water quality for better shrimp health and performance; using HDPE pond liner to prevent algae growth and protect soil; and acquiring certification for good farming practices. Using fixed-effects instrumental variable regression approach, our findings reveal that amongst extensive farmers, KUVI membership is associated with the rice farming rotation, whilst amongst semi-/intensive farmers, the membership is connected with the usage of HDPE pond base, good certification, and the monitoring of water quality.