JakartaPost-May 15, 2024
With more than 50 percent of the population living in rural settings, Indonesia needs to develop smart ruralism that transforms the rural economy into the center of food production and growth. This year marks the 76th anniversary of Indonesia’s membership in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). During these years, Indonesia and the FAO have built a strong collaboration across the food systems, including forestry, fisheries, agriculture and water. Of the nearly 280 million people in Indonesia, more than 50 percent of them live in rural settings. The concept of smart ruralism entails rethinking the rural economy as the center of food production and growth. It could also serve as a complementary concept to bioeconomy – a recently developed concept promoted by the FAO – where villages and rural communities act as the centers and hubs for the economy. This could help attract youth to practice agriculture and fisheries in their home villages, thereby supporting the regeneration of young farmers in the country. On the Indonesian side, to further promote smart ruralism, Law No. 6 /2014 on villages could be revisited again to elaborate and recognize the real potential of villages and small towns in contributing to national, regional and global food security and nutrition. Developing resilient agrifood systems in Indonesia requires continued effort. By underlining smart ruralism, digitalization, unlocking financing and the SSTC, Indonesia can not only strengthen its own agrifood systems, but can also contribute to the regional and global efforts toward establishing more sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2024/05/15/designing-the-future-of-indonesias-food-systems.html.
