Reviving Agrarian Culture through Memeden Gadhu Festival: Sustaining Ecological Knowledge and Farming Traditions

Lu'lu'il Munawaroh; Utwanto Utwanto

Authors

Lu'lu'il Munawaroh Independent Researcher, Jepara, Central Java, 59416, Indonesia
Utwanto Utwanto Universitas Terbuka, Jepara, Central Java, 59416, Indonesia

Keywords:

Sustainability, Agrarian Culture, Local Ecological Knowledge, Folk Festival, Cultural Ecology

Abstract

The global environmental crisis and climate change demand a new approach to realizing a sustainable agricultural system. One of them is the preservation of local ecological knowledge through community cultural practices. This article examines the Memeden Gadhu Festival in Kepuk Village, Jepara Regency, as a medium for preserving traditional agrarian culture and transmitting ecological knowledge. Through a descriptive, qualitative approach employing ethnographic and cultural ecology methods, this study describes how the folk festival represents ecological values and agrarian symbolism, while also building an intergenerational space for the transmission of culture and collective identity within the farming community. The results of the study indicate that this festival is not only an event for cultural expression, but also an adaptive strategy for the community in facing modernization and the ecological crisis. The Memeden Gadhu Festival combines elements of art, ritual, and ecological education to foster environmental awareness across generations. These findings highlight the importance of integrating local culture into the community-based sustainable development agenda.

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