Setiawan, S.A., Permadi, I., & Harini, N.D.Ph.
(2025).
Impact of protected rice fields policy on non-agricultural land.
Law. Human. Environment,
16(2),
105-117.
https://doi.org/10.31548/law/2.2025.105.
The policy of protected rice fields is regulated under Indonesian Basic Agrarian Law, particularly Article 14, which authorises the state to plan and control land use for national interests, including food security. However, in practice, the protected rice fields classification often encompasses land no longer functioning as agricultural land, creating legal complications for landowners. This discrepancy raises concerns about the protection of property rights and the principle of legal certainty as outlined in Articles 2, 9, and 10 of the same law. The study aimed to examine the legal implications and challenges posed by the protected rice fields policy when applied to non-agricultural land. A normative juridical method and a statutory approach were used, supported by legal theories including the Theory of legal certainty and the theory of legal protection. Primary legal materials and academic commentaries were analysed to understand the constitutional balance between state authority and individual rights. The findings revealed that the protected rice fields policy lacks adequate legal mechanisms for correcting land status and disproportionately limits landownersʼ economic rights. The study also demonstrates a disconnect between policy design and field realities. Therefore, legal reform is essential to realign the policy with principles of justice, proportionality, and legal certainty. The results of this study can serve as a theoretical foundation for future reform
agrarian policy; spatial geographic; administrative; rural transformation; zoning regulation
[1] Aini, R.A., Hasbi, M., Syam, M., & Arben, A. (2024). Implications of subsidized housing development on the protected rice fields (LSD) program in Sintuk Toboh Gadang District. Unes Law Review, 7(2), 880-892. doi: 10.31933/unesrev.v7i2.2390.
[2] Ajeng Pramesthy, H.K., Yasa, W., Setyawan, F., Adiwibowo, Y., & Putra Manggala, F. (2023). The impact of conversion of protected rice fields (LSD) on rural food security in Jember Regency. Inicio Legis, 4(2), 167-181. doi: 10.21107/il.v4i2.23103.
[3] Amri, I., Serlia, A., Ardiati, S.A., Andika, Y., Al Tumus, G.M.R., & Hidayah, N. (2025). Rice field distribution in Aceh: A study in the context of spatial planning. BIO Web of Conferences, 167, article number 02001.
[4] Fatturahman, F. (2024). The impact of incompatibility in determining protected rice field land on the regional spatial plan in Klaten Regency. (Bachelorʼs diploma, National Land College, Yogyakarta, Indonesia).
[5] Giuliani, A. (2023). The CAP (Common Agricultural Policy): A short history of crises and major transformations of European agriculture. Forum for Social Economics, 54(1), 68-94. doi: 10.1080/07360932.2023.2259618.
[6] Irwansyah, S.H. (2022). Legal research selected methods & article writing practices. Yogyakarta: Mirra Buana Media.
[7] Kairbayev, D., Rakhimzhanova, G., & Kairbay, A. (2025). Socio-legal challenges of legal regulation of land relations in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Social and Legal Studios, 8(1), 238-250. doi: 10.32518/ sals1.2025.238.
[8] Law of Indonesia No. 41 “On the Protection of Sustainable Agricultural Land”. (2009, October). Retrieved from https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/38786/uu-no-41-tahun-2009.
[9] Law of Indonesia No. 5 “Concerning The Basis of Agrarian Principles”. (1960, September). Retrieved from https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/51310/uu-no-5-tahun-1960.
[10] Maharani, P.D., & Ahmad, Y.M. (2024). Legal perspective on digitalising land certificates: Analysing synchronisation and harmonisation in Indonesiaʼs job creation law. Jurisdictie: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syariah, 15(2), 337-379. doi: 10.18860/j.v15i2.28859.
[11] Marchenko, O., & Orobchuk, M. (2021). Modern methods to provide resource security of agricultural land-use. Social and Legal Studios, 4(4), 137-147. doi: 10.32518/2617-4162-2021-4-137-147.
[12] Oktiana, N.U., Waluyo, & Nugroho, A. (2020). Implementation of sustainable food crop land protection based on spatial planning regulations. Jurnal Discretie Jurnal Bagian Hukum Administrasi Negara, 1(1), 16-24.
[13] Parvatha, R. (2016). Integrated crop-livestock farming systems. In Sustainable intensification of crop production (pp. 357-370). Singapore: Springer Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-2702-4_23.
[14] Permadi, I., & Azizi, I. (2024). Agrarian reform: Implementation and exploration of land conflicts in several countries (a bibliometric and content analysis of international research on the agrarian reform concept). Wseas Transactions on Environment and Development, 20, article number 77. doi: 10.37394/232015.2024.20.77.
[15] Petrescu-Mag, R.M., et al. (2024). Causes and solutions for fruit and vegetable waste: A participatory approach with Romanian farmers for sustainable agriculture. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 22(1). doi: 10.1080/14735903.2024.2329391.
[16] Prabowo, S.A., Kamil, M.I., & Mauludin, N.A. (2023). Implementation of certificate splitting and separation services in the “protected rice fields” area based on the Regulation of the Minister of Atr/Bpn Number 12 of 2020 (study at the Mataram City Land Office). Unizar Recht Journal (URJ), 2(1), 167-184. doi: 10.36679/urj.v2i1.61.
[17] Purwanti, T. (2018). Farmers land and development: The impact of land conversion on the economic life of farmers. Jurnal Umbara Indonesia Journal of Anthropology, 3(2).
[18] Rahmadi, M. (2019). The impact of declining agricultural land quality on organic-themed activities in bandung and surrounding areas. Retrieved from https://digilib.uinsgd.ac.id/10498/.
[19] Regulation of the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency of the Republic of Indonesia No. 2 “On Procedures for the Implementation of Verification of Paddy Field Data against Land and Spatial Planning Data, Determination of Protected Paddy Field Maps, and Provision of Recommendations for Changes in Land Use on Protected Paddy Fields”. (2024, January). Retrieved from https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/307143/permen-atr kepala-bpn-no-2-tahun-2024.
[20] Regulation of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency of Indonesia No. 18 “On the Establishment of the Organization, Work Area, Duties and Functions of the Representative Land Office of Maluku Barat Daya Regency and Buru Regency”. (2020, September). Retrieved from https://www.regulasip.id/book/17379/read.
[21] Regulation of the President of Indonesia No. 59 “On the Control of Conversion of Paddy Fields”. (2019, September). Retrieved from https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/120618/perpres-no-59- tahun-2019.
[22] Saputra, W.Y., Arba, M., & Minollah. (2023). The Role of Ppat in Efforts to Protect Sustainable Food Agricultural Land: (A Study in East Lombok Regency). Jurnal Risalah Kenotariatan, 4(2), 956-976. doi: 10.29303/risalahkenotariatan.v4i2.192.
[23] Surata, G. (2023). Legal impact of determining protected rice fields as a form of government concern for national food provision (study at the Office of the Agricultural Service of Buleleng Regency). Kertha Widya Jurnal Hukum, 11(2), 144-178.
[24] Sutaryono, S. (2023). Protected rice fields. Retrieved from https://repository.stpn.ac.id/3926/1/ Lahan%20Sawah%20Dilindungi_Sutaryono.pdf.
[25] Teo, S.S.K. (2024). Gentrification and its variegated emplacements: The politics of microregeneration in shenzhen, China. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 114(6), 1119-1136. doi: 10.1080/24694452.2024.2324889.
[26] Velkovski, V. (2024). The state policy on the protection of soil resources in Bulgarian agriculture and agricultural territories – theoretical-practical aspects and problems. Agricultural Science & Technology, 16(3), 92-99. doi: 10.15547/ast.2024.03.034.
[27] Zhou, H. (2024). Application of a centrifugal disc fertilizer spreading system for UAVs in rice fields. Heliyon, 10(8), article number e29837.