Balinese Arak and the Changing Livelihoods of Farmers in Sidemen

Balinese Arak: An Ancestral Tradition Facing Economic Change

Balinese arak is more than a traditional alcoholic beverage. In parts of Sidemen, it is closely connected to the lives of farmers, ancestral knowledge, and the rural economy that has supported families for generations.

The tradition of making arak is particularly associated with Tri Eka Buana Village, Telaga Tawang Village, and several farmers in the Celetiga area. For generations, local communities have developed knowledge and skills related to coconut trees, collecting sap, and processing it as part of a traditional livelihood.

Today, however, the number of arak farmers is gradually declining.

The reasons are closely connected to the changing economic conditions of rural households. The cost of meeting everyday needs has increased, while arak farming involves considerable physical effort and occupational risks.

At the same time, the development of tourism in Sidemen has created new employment opportunities. Some former arak farmers have chosen to work as construction workers, motorcycle drivers who pick up and transport tourists, villa staff, gardeners, swimming-pool workers, and in other tourism-related jobs.

For these people, the decision to leave arak farming is not necessarily a rejection of their cultural heritage. In many cases, it is a practical response to economic needs and the search for safer and more immediate sources of income.

The Tradition of Balinese Arak in Sidemen

The tradition of Balinese arak in Sidemen is closely connected to rural life and the natural environment.

For arak farmers, coconut trees are an important part of their livelihood. Collecting coconut sap requires knowledge, experience, physical strength, and courage because the farmer has to climb tall coconut trees.

This work has traditionally been passed from one generation to another.

The knowledge is not simply about making arak. It is also knowledge about the landscape, coconut trees, agricultural resources, weather conditions, and the rhythms of rural life.

However, as economic opportunities change, fewer people are willing to continue this physically demanding occupation.

Tri Eka Buana, Telaga Tawang, and Celetiga

The arak tradition is particularly associated with communities in Tri Eka Buana Village and Telaga Tawang Village, as well as several farmers in the Celetiga area.

These communities represent an important part of the local history of arak production in the Sidemen area.

For many families, arak farming was once a livelihood that could be carried out using knowledge and resources available within the local environment.

Today, the situation is different. Younger people and working-age residents have more employment choices, particularly as construction and tourism continue to grow.

As a result, the number of people who choose to remain as arak farmers is becoming smaller.

Why Are Arak Farmers Becoming Fewer?

The decline in the number of arak farmers cannot be attributed to a single reason.

It is the result of several economic, occupational, and environmental factors that have gradually changed the attractiveness of the profession.

Increasing Economic Needs

One of the strongest factors is the increasing need for household income.

Families have everyday expenses that must be met. When financial needs become urgent, people tend to look for work that can provide income more quickly.

Arak farming requires time, physical effort, and a willingness to accept considerable occupational risk.

By comparison, construction work can offer a more immediate source of income when projects are available.

For a household that needs money to pay for daily necessities, education, housing, or other expenses, the speed of receiving income can become an important consideration.

Therefore, when some farmers leave arak farming, their decision should be understood within the broader context of household economics.

The Risks of Climbing Coconut Trees

Another major challenge is the physical risk associated with the work.

A traditional arak farmer may have to climb a tall coconut tree to collect sap. This is not ordinary agricultural work. It requires experience and physical ability, while the consequences of an accident can be serious.

The risk becomes even greater when weather conditions are unpredictable.

Rain can make surfaces slippery, while strong winds can make climbing a coconut tree more dangerous. Extreme weather can therefore create additional challenges for farmers who depend on this activity.

For some workers, these risks make alternative occupations more attractive.

A person may decide that working on the ground as a construction worker, gardener, villa worker, or swimming-pool worker is a better option than repeatedly climbing tall coconut trees.

Construction Work as an Alternative

One of the most important alternative occupations for former arak farmers is construction work.

Construction jobs can provide relatively quick income when there are projects available. They also offer a different type of physical work that does not require repeatedly climbing tall coconut trees.

For households with urgent financial needs, this difference can be significant.

The decision to become a construction worker does not necessarily mean that the farmer has abandoned his connection with the tradition.

Rather, it reflects a changing economic reality.

When an occupation involves high physical risk and does not provide sufficient or immediate income, workers naturally consider other possibilities.

The Growth of Tourism in Sidemen

The development of tourism has also played an important role in changing local livelihoods.

Sidemen has experienced growing tourism activity, creating demand for workers in accommodation, transportation, landscaping, maintenance, and other services.

For former arak farmers, these opportunities can provide alternative ways to earn a living without completely leaving their local community.

Tourism has therefore become part of the wider economic transformation taking place in Sidemen.

Picking Up Tourists by Motorcycle

One alternative occupation is working as a motorcycle driver who picks up or transports tourists.

This type of work takes advantage of the increasing movement of visitors around the area. Local residents who know the roads and surrounding communities can provide transportation services while earning an income.

For some former arak farmers, this can be an attractive alternative because it does not involve the same physical risks as climbing coconut trees.

Working at Villas

The growth of accommodation businesses has also created employment opportunities for local residents.

Some former arak farmers now work as villa staff or villa workers.

Their responsibilities may vary depending on the workplace, but employment in accommodation can provide a more regular alternative to traditional agricultural work.

The shift also demonstrates how tourism development can gradually transform the occupations available to rural communities.

Working as Gardeners

Another type of employment is gardening and landscape maintenance.

The expansion of villas and tourism properties has increased the need to maintain gardens, plants, yards, and outdoor areas.

For local workers, gardening can become a practical source of income while remaining close to their home communities.

Swimming-Pool Work and Other Tourism Jobs

Some former arak farmers have also moved into jobs related to swimming-pool maintenance and other tourism services.

These occupations may seem very different from traditional arak farming, but they are part of the same broader economic transformation.

As tourism develops, the types of work available to local communities also change.

Why Some Farmers Still Continue Making Arak

Despite the decline, some farmers continue to make arak.

One important reason is that not everyone has the same access to alternative employment.

For some farmers, finding another job can be difficult. Age, skills, education, physical condition, family responsibilities, or a lack of available employment can all affect a person's ability to change professions.

As a result, arak farming remains an important source of income for some households.

These farmers continue because it is a skill they already possess and a livelihood they understand.

Their decision to remain in the profession is therefore closely connected to economic necessity as well as tradition.

A Tradition Caught Between Heritage and Survival

The story of arak farmers in Sidemen reveals an important tension between cultural heritage and economic survival.

On one side, Balinese arak represents ancestral knowledge and a traditional livelihood that has existed within local communities for generations.

On the other side, farmers must deal with the realities of modern life.

They need income. They need to support their families. They also need to consider their physical safety.

When alternative employment becomes available, it is understandable that some farmers choose a different path.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply how to preserve arak as a traditional product. It is also how to understand and document the lives of the people who have carried this tradition.

Tourism and the Transformation of Rural Livelihoods

The development of tourism in Sidemen illustrates how economic transformation can happen gradually within a rural community.

A farmer who once climbed coconut trees may now spend his working day transporting tourists by motorcycle.

Another may work at a villa.

Another may maintain a garden.

Someone else may work on a swimming pool or join a construction project.

These jobs are different, but they all represent the way local people adapt to new economic opportunities.

Tourism does not simply bring visitors into a village. It can also change the types of jobs available to local residents.

What Happens When Traditional Farmers Disappear?

The decline of arak farmers raises an important question about the future of traditional knowledge.

If fewer people continue the profession, there will eventually be fewer people who understand the skills, experiences, and local knowledge associated with it.

This does not mean that the tradition will disappear immediately.

However, when the younger generation chooses other professions and older farmers eventually stop working, knowledge that has traditionally been passed from one generation to another can become increasingly difficult to maintain.

This is why documentation is important.

Photographs, interviews, personal stories, traditional equipment, workplaces, and accounts of farmers' experiences can help preserve the history of the tradition.

The Importance of Documenting Arak Farmers in Sidemen

The documentation from Banjar Kebon, Telaga Tawang Village, Sidemen provides a glimpse into the environment in which this traditional livelihood has been practiced.

The simple working structure, traditional equipment, firewood, containers, and surrounding landscape tell part of the story.

But the most important story is the story of the people.

Behind every traditional production space is a farmer who has to balance tradition with economic reality.

Some continue because they have no better alternative.

Others have moved into construction or tourism-related work because those occupations provide a more practical way to support their families.

Both stories are important.

Balinese Arak Is Also a Story About Rural Change

When people talk about Balinese arak, they often focus on the beverage itself.

But the story of arak in Sidemen is much broader.

It is a story about farmers, coconut trees, traditional knowledge, household economics, occupational risk, and the transformation of rural employment.

It is also a story about how tourism can reshape a community.

The former arak farmer who now works in construction, transports tourists by motorcycle, works at a villa, maintains a garden, or takes care of a swimming pool represents a changing economic landscape.

Their change of profession is not simply a loss. It is also evidence of how local people adapt to new circumstances.

At the same time, the disappearance of traditional farmers means that an important part of Sidemen's cultural and economic history deserves to be recorded.

Preserving the Story of Arak Farmers

The future of Balinese arak in Sidemen should therefore be discussed not only in terms of production, but also in terms of the people behind the tradition.

Tri Eka Buana Village, Telaga Tawang Village, and the Celetiga area are part of a wider story of traditional arak farming in the region.

As economic needs increase and new employment opportunities emerge, some farmers have moved away from the profession.

Construction, motorcycle transportation for tourists, villa work, gardening, swimming-pool maintenance, and other tourism-related jobs have become alternatives.

Yet some farmers continue to make arak because changing professions is not always easy.

Their stories deserve to be documented—not to romanticize hardship, but to understand the economic realities behind a traditional livelihood.

Conclusion

The decline of arak farmers in Sidemen reflects a wider transformation in the economic life of rural communities.

Increasing household needs, the physical risks of climbing tall coconut trees, unpredictable weather, and the availability of alternative employment have encouraged some farmers to leave the traditional profession.

Many have moved into construction work, motorcycle transportation for tourists, villa employment, gardening, swimming-pool work, and other tourism-related jobs.

Importantly, the former arak farmers are not becoming local guides or running cooking classes as a direct replacement for arak farming. Their main transition has been toward practical jobs that offer alternative sources of income.

At the same time, several farmers continue to make arak because they have limited opportunities to find other work.

This makes Balinese arak in Sidemen more than a story about a traditional drink. It is a story about heritage, livelihood, economic necessity, occupational risk, and the changing face of rural life.

As the number of traditional arak farmers continues to decline, documenting their stories becomes increasingly important. Their experiences provide a valuable record of how an ancestral tradition has adapted—and struggled to survive—in a rapidly changing Sidemen.