In this book, the author explores the agricultural and economic transformations in Indonesia, particularly in Java, during the colonial period. The book introduces the concept of "agricultural involution," which describes the intensification of labour on existing land without corresponding increases in productivity. This process was driven by population growth and colonial pressures that led to increased demand for agricultural output, primarily rice, but without substantial technological advancements.
The author argues that as population pressure grew, instead of technological innovations leading to agricultural modernisation, more people were added to the existing system, increasing labour input but not yields, a phenomenon that created economic stagnation. He contrasts Java's "involutionary" development with the more dynamic economic changes in the outer islands of Indonesia, such as Sumatra, which experienced more robust economic changes through the introduction of plantation agriculture.