Sustainable Agritourism

“All the human and animal manure which the world wastes, if returned tothe land, instead of being thrown into the sea, would suffice to nourish the world.”

― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

FAO (Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations) shared a fact in 2015. Every year around the globe 1.3 billion tones of food is lost or wasted, that is a 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption. Food losses represent a waste of resources used in production such as land, water,energy and inputs, increasing the green gas emissions in vain. There is something that we, as a human being, must do, that is creating a sustainable agriculture.

United Nations General Assembly in 1987 on the “Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future” stated that sustainable development meetsthe needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We must be creative to deal with agriculture waste. One of the most fun way to achieve it is through agritourism. A journal called “Searching for Complementarities between Agriculture and Tourism” by Marquezin 2006 stated that agritourism is a specific type of rural tourism in which the hosting house must be integrated into an agricultural estate, inhabited by the proprietor, allowing visitors to take part in agricultural or complementary activities on the property.

Factors that can affect visitors are accessibility and attraction, infrastructure, environmental factor, cost of staying, also hospitality. For the accessibility, the tourism must have a perfect spot. Near my city, Bandung, Indonesia, there is a region called Lembang. Lembang is a perfect spot because it is a suburban spot with a great view and easy infrastructure to attract visitors. With a perfect weather and fun things to do, it will be a “hotspot” for tourism. 

Sustainable agritourism also can be created in another country as long as thereis a perfect spot. For example, I have found a place in Thailand from “Factors Affecting Tourist Satisfaction: Anempirical Study in the Northern Part of Thailand” by Suanmaliin 2014: “The Environmental factors of Chiang Mai, geographically situated on highlands, create distinct and unique scenery for the eyes of tourists who are touched by what they have witnessed. The weather and climate in Chiang Mai is therefore pleasant to the people due to the geography of thi s province, making the place a perfect place for tourism all seasons round. As for tourists who love nature and natural attractions, Chiang Mai is an undeniably choice for such tourists”. The place seems to be the same as Lembang situation in Indonesia.

To increase the fun side of the tourism, there will be an attraction such as outbond in a large yard. Yudanto from his journal “Outbond as One of the Outdoor Education in Elementary School” stated that outbound is a form of activity taken in group or team in the open space or wild. The form of games used in the outbound activities are: 1) game for the introduction 2) games to build trust, 3) games to build cooperation, 4) games to build communication, 5) games to develop concentration and sensitivity, and 6) games to develop creativity and imagination. From the explanation, not only elementary school children can have an outbond activity . Grown up people such as a group of coworkers and family also can do the outbond thing.

Any other outdoor activities can be created to enhance the fun without making any waste. Sport s such as paint ball is an example. Another sports can be added depends on the cost and infrastucture. For example, the tourism spot must make a bicycle path to add the sport.

There will be a livestock in the environment of tourism spot. Nourishing cow is one of the most important thing. Cow can produce milk and other products such as cheese. The animal’s dung as a waste is ussualy applied to the land without treatment. That can cause other problems such as contamination to the land and off course odour. Abubakar (2012) in “Anaerobic Digestion of Cow Dung for Biogas Production” stated that anaerobic digestion provides an alternative option for energy recovery and waste treatment. The biogas produced contains mainly methane and carbon dioxide, and can be used as a source of renewable energy . The energy can be used to light up the tourism spot. The solid part of dung can be used as fertilizer for the farm near the livestock.

Of course, there must be a farm. The farm can be planted by crops that are needed by the people near the place. The people can also build a restaurant in the tourism place using its farm. No need to worry about their life because they can provide their own needs such as food and electricity through the sustainable agritourism. The visitors also get the same, so the cost of staying in the tourism spot will be lower.

The most important thing is how we can affect other people to do the sustainability to sustain the system. If that is not happening, who will be the next generation? Education is the most powerfull thing. While people visit the tourism spot, we can teach them by doing the real action. Off course, hospitality in this part is very important.

The solution is in the “Young People, Education, and Sustainable Development: Exploring Principles, Perspectives, and Praxis” by Joseph Paul Weakland and Brandon P. Hollingshead: “For sustainable development itself to be sustainable – for it to be carried forward by future generations - children and youth must learn that the quality of human life depends on the quality of the environment, and have the skill and confidence needed to take action on its belief. While formal education can transmit information about ecology and processes of democratic decision-making, research suggests that people's deepest motivations to protect the Earth draw upon experiences beyond school walls, through direct encounters with nature, and that skills to protect the environment are most effectively learned through opportunities for collective action”.