Food Security for the Good of the Community and Farmers

The problem of food availability, such as the scarcity of basic foodstuffs, is an issue that is often discussed. This is related to the issue of food security issues in the national and global realm. According to data from the Global Food Security Index (GFSI), Indonesia's food security in 2021 will weaken compared to the previous year. GFSI recorded that Indonesia's food security index score in 2020 reached the level of 61.4. However, in 2021, the index fell to 59.2. The index puts Indonesia's food security in 2021 at 69th out of 113 countries. The government continues to reduce food vulnerability with food and agricultural development strategies to support food security, increase competitiveness, and economic growth. Some of these strategies include increasing production capacity, diversifying local food, strengthening reserves and food logistics systems, developing modern agriculture, and the triple export movement. 

Mr. President Jokowi reaffirmed this at the BUMN Startup Day event held on September 26-28, 2022 at ICE BSD City, where he stated that food affairs will be a major issue in the future that will require technological solutions. Due to the fact that Fintech still accounts for 23% of the startup market, while retail accounts for 14%. Due to Indonesia's enormous market and market potential, the food industry presents a fantastic opportunity for startup businesses. 

As one of the foundations involved in the agricultural and technology sectors, Edufarmers took the initiative to host a talk show intended to improve food security and introduce the initiatives in implementing various programs to empower local farmers and inspire youth to remain optimistic about advancing Indonesian agriculture. Additionally, this event aims to commemorate National Farmers Day, which is recognized annually on September 24th, 2022. 

"The goal of this event is not only to connect with the national media but also to emphasize the importance of strengthening food security in Indonesia. We hope that this discussion will inspire more people to take action and create more initiatives to achieve food security and the well-being of Indonesian people and farmers " said Amri Ilmma, Edufarmers' Chief Operating Officer. 

Anang Noegroho Setyo Moeljono, Director of Food and Agriculture of the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Michelle Arsjad, Vice President of Growth and Marketing Segari, and Amri Ilmma, Chief Operating Officer, Edufarmers, attended this Talkshow and Media Gathering. 

"Currently, the government's goal is to achieve food security through a combination of sustainability, health, and inclusiveness. To ensure food security, we work with BAPANAS, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, and other stakeholders. In the future, the government will strongly encourage people to practice conservation agriculture, or farming that does not disturb the land "Anang Nugroho, Director of Food and Agriculture of the Ministry of National Development Planning, made the statement. 

Startup Segari also plays a similar role in maintaining agricultural production quality. Michelle Arsjad, Segari's Vice President of Growth and Marketing, continues "As a private sector company, Segari is committed to buying agricultural products from local farmers. However, some of these agricultural products do not fall into the grade A category, so Segari takes the initiative to educate farmers on how to improve the quality of their agricultural products." 

According to Amri Ilmma, Chief Operating Officer of Edufarmers, the agricultural industry still faces numerous challenges. "Right now, our focus is on production; we're considering initiative steps that can help farmers solve production problems by mentoring and training them to increase productivity. Second, we focus on improving agricultural product quality, but multi-stakeholder collaboration is required to appreciate better agricultural products. For example, offering a different purchase price for grade A products." 

The event concluded with a presentation by Yos Fahleza Rahmatullah, Edufarmers' Head of Business and Channel Development, on plans to hold the Agrinnovation Conference in early 2023. 

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