First upload : 28 September 2017
Bisnis.com, SEMARANG — The Central Java Government has inaugurated the establishment of the Secretariat for Sustainable Food Landscape to improve productivity of the agricultural sector.
“Today we all agreed to declare the Secretariat for Sustainable Food Landscape of Central Java. The Secretariat is aimed to synergize programs and policies as well as to address the increasing number of population and the decreasing sizes of agriculture land,” said Heru Sudjatmiko, Central Java Deputy Goverrnor in his speech for the inauguration of the Secretariat at the Grhadhika Bhakti Praja Building in Semarang, as quoted by the official website of the Central Java Provincial Government on Wednesday (7/6/2017).
Heru explained that the secretariat was formed as part of the ongoing sustainable food landscape management program in Central Java until 2020. The implementation of the program has been facilitated by BWI, a non-government organisation that works on issues concerning the sustainability of agricultural commodities with the support of Solidaridad South and Southeast Asia that is based in India and Jateng Berdikari Foundation.
According to the Deputy Governor, increased conversion of agricultural land areas into factories and residential areas has led to significant decrease in crop production, including rice, corn and other key crop commoditiies. To address this and promote the protection of agricultural land areas through regional regulations, the local government and the local community as well as other stakeholders need to promote various programs for the protection of agricultural land areas and food crops.
“The Central Java population is now 36 million people, which accordingly increase the demands for food and land availability. However, there has been an increasing decline in agricultural land areas that the establishment of the Central Java Secretariat for Sustainable Food Landscape is really necessary,” said the Deputy Governor.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Solidaridad Asia South Asia and Southeast Asia, Shatadru Chattopadhayay, indicated that the Secretariat was established as a result of the awareness of the diminishing boundaries between sectors and the interrelatedness and interdependency of humans with nature. Therefore, development can no longer be conducted in isolation from each other.
Shatadru believed that solutions to problems in one sector or one area are closely related with solutions to problems in other areas. For that reason, it is very crucial to ensure the active role and coordination of stakeholders. Coordination and collaboration between stakeholders are crucial to ensure the long term benefit of landscape management.
“One of the Central Java government’s agendas is realising food security in Central Java, responsible and environmental-friendly landscape management. To achieve this, sustainable food landscape management must be ensured,” said Shatadru.
The pilot areas for the sustainable landscape management cover six districts in Central Java, namely Sukoharjo, Klaten, Purworejo, Sragen, Wonogiri, and Boyolali. Program implementation includes introduction of climate-responsive agricultural practices to soybean farmers, coffee agroforestry, conservation of forest in the slopes of Merapi, strengthening of women farmers’ capacity, and strengthening of the capacity of village facilitators in five districts in Serayu river basin.
Shatadru emphasised that to achieve food security, integrated efforts must be ensured because it is undeniable that the history of civilization recordedthat humans could only start cultivating with the support of nature, including through availability and suitability of water, soil, and weather.
“However, as time goes by and with the increasing economic pressure, humans have started to conduct irreversible exploitation of nature beyond its capacity to recover,” concluded Shatadru.
Editor : Martin Sihombing
Issued on 8 June 2017
Photo Credit: Business Watch Indonesia