["Asia Pacific Viewpoint, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nSince the 1980s, agricultural land in the uplands of Java has been converted into potato fields to meet rising domestic demand. The adoption of potatoes has transformed the character of farming villages in these upland areas: villages that were once poor now appear prosperous and modern. The farmers' houses are well‐built, and each hamlet has an impressive, beautiful mosque. However, this potato boom has its downsides: serious ecological impacts, including erosion, rising health problems due to excessive pesticide use, growing socioeconomic inequality and declining soil quality and fertility. Over the past decade, these issues have worsened due to climate change, causing less favourable weather conditions and more frequent pest outbreaks. At the same time, the boom has been accompanied by a noticeable shift in farmers' religiosity; they have become more devout Muslims, invest more in the construction of mosques and village elites have taken on roles as religious leaders. As a result, traditional patron‐client relationships in the village have gradually been replaced by short‐term contracts, making the farmhands' situation more uncertain. Similarly, regarding their relationship with the environment, religious piety does not prevent religious farmers from harming the land.\n"]