Аннотация:This paper reports research findings on the effect of Indonesia's economic crisis on the wellbeing of people living in or near the country's natural forests, on their agricultural systems, and on the forests that they manage.An appropriate point of departure is to review basic facts concerning the crisis and the role of agriculture in the midst of the crisis.Beginning in mid-1997 Asian countries succumbed to a regional economic crisis caused by the depreciation of their currencies against the U.S. dollar.Among all Asian countries, Indonesia suffered the most.According to one analyst, "Indonesia's economic collapse is the most The Effect of Indonesia's Economic Crisis on Small Farmers and Natural Forest Cover in the Outer Islands Abstract Twenty million people live in or near Indonesia's natural forests.The country's humid tropical forests, among the most extensive remaining in the world, are primarily in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya.A devastating regional economic crisis that began in mid-1997 affected Indonesia more strongly than any other country in Asia.A random sample survey of 1,050 households was conducted in six outer island provinces to understand the effects of the crisis on the wellbeing of forest villagers and on their agricultural and forest clearing practices.In particular, the study sought to understand diverging opportunities introduced by the drastic depreciation of the Indonesian rupiah against the U.S. dollar: on one hand producers of agro-export commodities could get an income windfall from higher market prices; on the other hand increased costs of living could neutralise potential income gains.