Achieving Food Security through Sustainable Agriculture

Lampung, February 17, 2022—The fulfillment of good quality food with affordable prices for the people is the duty of a country. And Indonesia is also expected to be able to establish a condition of food security with good quality. In order to create a public discussion in how Indonesia's efforts to achieve this, the University of Lampung held a national conference that discussed Achieving Food Security through Sustainable Agriculture. The event which was held in the meeting hall of the university was carried out with the concept of online and face-to-face, presenting several significant resource persons.

This event was also attended by the Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Heryandi, SH., MS., Director of Post Graduate, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ahmad Saudi Samosir, MT., Deputies of Postgraduate Directors, Head of Doctoral and Masters Study Programs, lecturers, and also students who were members of the Indonesian Environmental Science Study Program Student Association.

"The Indonesian government plans a food estate which will become a national strategic program for 2020-2024. This is an effort to achieve food security in Indonesia. So that with food security, it is hoped that Indonesia can achieve sustainable national food self-sufficiency," said the Director of the Postgraduate Program at the University of Lampung in his opening remarks.

On the same occasion, Prof. Dr. Heryandi, SH., also said that all elements must work together to find a way out in creating better national food security, and Indonesia was also expected to become an extraordinary food source. "Even though we have a lot of food available, we must not ignore the quality and safety of food materials for consumption by the community equally. Sustainability of food security also does not affect environmental conditions such as damaging the environment," said Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs, University of Lampung.

In the discussion session, led by Tri Umaryani, SP., M.Sc., Head of the Department of Cooperatives, MSME, Industry, and Trade of West Lampung Regency, Dr. Ir. Musdhalifah Machmud, MT., Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination, Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs conveyed that President Joko Widodo's agenda as outlined in the 2019-2024 national mid-term development plant was in the form of a vision and mission that prioritized economic transformation through improving the economic structures that are productive, independent, and competitive with equitable and fairly distributed development. “The main objective of the food security program is to achieve food availability, food affordability, food safety, and quality. The government is committed to support and encourage the development of a sustainable food and agriculture sector. By ensuring the provision and ease of access to food for the community while still paying attention to the welfare of farmers," explained the Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination, Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for the Economic Affairs.

Wahyu Wibowo, the Executive Director of Cocoa Sustainability Partnership (CSP), as the next resource person, explained that CSP strived for cocoa farmers to have high productivity with high incomes. In order to create these conditions, support and enabling facilities such as the provision of quality seeds and the best fertilizer for cocoa must be prepared. So that farmers could develop into professional farmers who were able to develop their plantation land to the fullest. Insan Syafaat, as Executive Director of the Partnership for Indonesia's Sustainable Agriculture (PISAgro), said that farmers and ranchers were expected not only to become individuals, but also to be part of the village community. "Therefore, PISAgro also helps farmers and ranchers in the village to produce good and high-quality commodities," he added.

At the end, Tri Umaryani concludes that national food security was the noble goal of the Indonesian government to create a fair, prosperous, and highly competitive Indonesian society. “Farmers need support from various parties and adequate facilities to establish national food security in realizing these noble ideals. We must work together to develop the ideals of good food security," she concluded.