The Coconut Oil Industry Of Nv. Oliefabrieken Insulinde And Its Impact On The Socioeconomic Conditions Of The Kebumen Community, 1915–1923

Industri Minyak Kelapa NV. Oliefabrieken Insulinde Dan Pengaruhnya Terhadap Sosial Ekonomi Masyarakat Kebumen Tahun 1915-1923

Abstrak

This study examines the existence of NV. Oliefabrieken Insulinde in Kebumen (1915–1923) as a manufacturing enterprise that contributed to driving socio-economic transformation. Founded in Amsterdam by B. Streefland in 1913, high global demand drove the company’s expansion into its colonies; one such venture was the factory in Kebumen, which became its third factory in 1915, owing to its strategic socio-geographical advantages for copra procurement. This study employs historical methods (heuristics, criticism, interpretation, historiography), utilising colonial newspapers, archives, company documents and secondary literature as sources. The findings indicate that the development of N.V. Oliefabrieken Insulinde in Kebumen was underpinned by the integration of colonial capital, the application of modern industrial technology, and the support of an efficient transport network. The synergy of these three elements enabled the company to increase its production capacity and expand its distribution network, which in turn drove changes in the local economic structure through job creation, the strengthening of the copra trade, and the formation of a more skilled industrial workforce. Nevertheless, dependence on raw material supplies and market dynamics led to a drastic decline in the company’s production in 1921. This study demonstrates that colonial industrialisation had a broader impact than mere economic exploitation. The presence of industry also drove changes in the social and economic structure of society through the formation of a skilled industrial workforce, the development of trade networks with local suppliers, the integration of Kebumen’s economy into the global trading system, and the emergence of a collective consciousness among workers in response to industrial labour relations.