ABSTRACT
Nusa Tenggara Timur (East Nusa Tenggara) is located in the dry zone of eastern Indonesia (see page 273). The province, which includes the western part of the island of Timor, has complex geology, soils, and vegetation, as well as intricate social, political, and economic circumstances. Its agricultural production systems are also very complex. Despite the fact that modernization has brought significant economic development to Indonesia, many farmers must still rely upon marginal natural resources that are significantly degraded. They continue cultivating their small holdings to produce food and cash income against a background of increasing population pressure and a scarcity of agricultural land.
