Uncertainty, Humility and Adaptation to the Tropical Forest: The Agricultural Augury of the Kantu

The most problematic characteristic of the tropical forest for many swidden cultivators is the uncertainty of rainfall, pest invasions, etc. Field research in West Kalimantan suggests that this uncertainty is best dealt with not by analysis and prediction but by emulation through diversification. The Kantu' diversify, and avoid the temptation of prediction, by timing and locating their swiddens according to random bird omens. This institutional humility in the face of tropical forest complexity contrasts with the development agencies' assumption of omnipotence, suggesting new ways of thinking about tropical forest development and conservation.