Moral Infrastructure of Sustainability: Ritual Redistribution and Traditional ecological knowledge in Rural Java

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in rural Java embodies not only environmental wisdom but also a moral ecology that organizes collective life. This study examines how TEK operates as a socio-moral system that links ritual redistribution, ecological ethics, and local equality in Nganjuk Regency, Indonesia. Drawing on an ethnographic interpretation and secondary data from Indonesia’s Bureau of Statistics (2008–2025), the analysis situates these practices within a context of relatively stable interregional inequality (Williamson Index 0.12–0.15) and mild household income disparity (Gini ratio 0.30–0.32). Within this moral landscape, four interrelated pillars are identified: ritualized food sharing that redistributes symbolic and material capital; ecological calendars ( Pranata Mangsa ) which align agriculture with cosmological ethics; communal institutions which govern shared resources; and norms of reciprocity and restraint which are embedded in everyday practice. Together, these pillars show that sustainability in rural Java is an ethical practice, that integrates ecological stewardship, distributive justice, and social solidarity. This paper contributes to human ecological scholarship by reframing TEK as an ethical infrastructure of sustainability, demonstrating how moral economy and ritual practices shape lived experiences of equality beyond market logic.