Sustainable practices are applied by some farmer groups in Indonesia. Yet many farmers still use the traditional approach to agriculture, which harms the environment and brings little benefit. Immediately after harvesting, they strive to sell their cacao beans to middlemen in order to get quick money, without considering the sustainable market for their product and enhancing their own income.

The main barrier to pro-environmental and sustainable practices is the personal attitude of the farmers. They do not put much effort into gaining knowledge about the negative impacts of their agricultural practices, which can result in a more vulnerable situation for their livelihood.

The mind-set of the farmers makes them act and react based on the experiences of their forefathers, not based on knowledge and science.

This value creates perceptions among the farmers that their forefathers who used old farming practices for a long time are more reliable than the knowledge that comes from external actors.

Environmental and sustainable development education is needed to tackle such an issue. It is also essential for the deeper understanding of environmental issues in the agriculture sector.

Mixed strategies can be implemented in order to accomplish the goal of an intensification program: instrumental and emancipatory approaches.

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