As climate change intensifies and global food demand rises, the future of agriculture faces mounting challenges. Then, how can countries with vastly different climates, like Australia and Indonesia, sustain their agricultural productivity while ensuring long-term food security? This question took centre stage at the Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM) x Central Queensland University (CQU) Guest Lecture, where experts from both nations shared insights on protecting and growing agriculture for Australia’s and Indonesia’s success.
Faculty of Agriculture UGM
The Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM) continues to demonstrate its commitment to empowering local farmers. This commitment was recently realized through a collaboration with Indomaret, the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries of Sleman Regency, and Millennial Farmers of Sleman to launch the Regional Economic Empowerment Program through California Papaya Cultivation. The signing of the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) took place on Tuesday, 7 January 2025, at the Venture Room, 6th Floor of the AGLC Building, Faculty of Agriculture UGM.
Graduate students from the 2023 Master of Agricultural Economics program conducted a field study (Widyakarya) in Malaysia from 11-15 August 2024. The activity, which involved 19 students, aimed to fulfill a core course requirement and study various agricultural institutions in Malaysia. The field study was supervised by Prof. Dr. Ir. Irham, M.Sc., and Dr. Hani Perwitasari, S.P., M.Sc., as academic mentors
Key destinations of the Widyakarya included the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Beryl’s Chocolate Industry, and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI). Malaysia was chosen as the destination because it is considered Indonesia’s main competitor in the palm oil sector and is renowned for its chocolate industry. The study aimed to enhance students’ international insights and explore Malaysia’s agricultural landscape, particularly regarding palm oil and chocolate.
Dr. Hani Perwitasari shared her aspirations for the program. “I hope they gain new insights, particularly on the development mechanisms for palm oil, the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the downstreaming of agricultural products. These aspects can extend the economic lifecycle of agricultural products,” Hani explained.
The Widyakarya program by the Department of Agricultural Socioeconomics at UGM’s Faculty of Agriculture underscores the institution’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.