But to a dirt-poor Balinese rice farmer $40,000 is an incredible fortune.

So imagine the strength it would have taken for 64-year-old Made Anggir to reject a tourism developer's offer to pay him 500 million rupiah to acquire his rice paddies near Ubud in Bali's uplands.

"My land is near a tourism area so they keep on asking me to sell it. But I'm not going to give up my own land just like that," Mr Anggir said.

"I always tell my fellow farmers and friends: Stop giving investors permission to convert rice paddies all over Bali."

Mr Anggir's brave stand was documented by British photojournalist and videographer Marko Randelovic, who's exploring what he calls the 'David versus Goliath' social movements against land development rising there.

"I think tourism here in Bali has been central to the growth of the island's economy and has helped many Balinese businesses to flourish, however many here would agree that there needs to some kind of checks or limits to help balance these positive effects with the inevitable problems," Mr Randelovic said.

"The biggest problems can be identified as waste management, land reclamation and of course - the conservation of the rice fields. To enable us to preserve Bali as the beautiful tourist destination that it is, I think it's essential for some kind of reform."

Bali is one of Australia's most popular tourism destinations, with hundreds of thousands flying every year to hotspots like Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud.

Yet for every plush hotel resort we stay in, every cheap restaurant we eat in and every bar we sip a Bintang in, chances are the land it's built on used to be someone's ancestral agricultural land.

The tourism sector in Bali is rapidly accelerating as developers across the island seek to cash in on the growing influx of visitors - but it's not without resistance.

A $3 billion project to create artificial islands in the middle of Benoa Bay has spawned one of the largest environmental movements in Indonesia's history: Bali Tolak Reklamasi (Bali Rejects Reclamation).

Some protesters have theatrically suggested they would commit puputan (a Balinese ritualistic fight to the death) to stop it proceeding.

Now humble farmers like Mr Anggir are also joining the fight, rejecting cash offers from developers to plonk villas and other buildings on their intricately-cultivated rice terraces.

"Don't give any permission to build on the land, it should last forever. This land was passed down to us by our ancestors. My ancestors told me that preserving your land was the hardest thing to do. Selling is the easy way out," Mr Anggir said.

To change his fortunes, the charity Sawah Bali is teaching organic farming techniques to Mr Anggir and his peers, allowing more abundant crops and access to new markets.

And when it comes to changes we as tourists can make, Mr Randelovic suggests we use our dollars to support the locals.

"I think that tourists themselves can help the process by demonstrating to these authorities that there is a high demand for socially aware tourism. This could range from staying in eco-friendly resorts or taking part in trips to organic farms and supporting local farmers."

You can view Mr Randelovic's video SAWAH in full here.