Hifzil Al-Bi’ah in Mesiwah Pare Gumbo: The Contribution of Deah Dayak Ecoteological Practices to Sustainable Food Security
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15575/djash.v4i2.54147Keywords:
ecotheology, food security, indigenous wisdom, regenerative agriculture, Sustainable Development GoalsAbstract
This study examines Mesiwah Pare Gumboh, a rice ritual of the Dayak Deah community in Liyu Village, South Kalimantan, as a living form of ecotheology and its contribution to sustainable food security, in dialogue with the Islamic principle of Hifzil Al-Bi’ah (environmental preservation). Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, data were gathered through participant observation, in-depth interviews with 10 key informants, and document analysis, and then analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña’s interactive model. The findings show that the ritual functions as a community-based food security system grounded in conservation norms, regenerative shifting cultivation with long fallow periods, and a moral economy of mutual cooperation that supports fair food distribution and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). However, cultural commodification through tourism and tensions between indigenous knowledge and national agricultural policies may threaten its spiritual and ecological values. The study recommends protecting customary territories, integrating Dayak Deah ecological wisdom into education and agricultural extension, and establishing collaborative policy forums. It contributes an inclusive ecotheological framework, a local-wisdom-based food security model, and a stronger case for cultural and spiritual approaches to achieving the SDGs.
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