Saturday, 5 July 2025 marked an important moment for the Gunung Gambar area, one of the assisted sites of Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Faculty of Agriculture (Faperta UGM). On that day, a robusta coffee harvest festival was held, attended by local farmers, the Ngawen Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis), UGM’s Community Service Program (KKN-PPM) students, the academic community of the Faculty of Agriculture, village officials, and the Regent of Gunungkidul, Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih. This harvest produced a total of 30 kilograms of robusta coffee.
In her remarks, the Regent of Gunungkidul, Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih, emphasized the importance of diversifying tourism potential in the region, one of which is through the development of coffee tourism in Gunung Gambar.

“Gunung Gambar must have differentiation, not only as a religious tourism destination, but also with a new image as a coffee tourism area. This region has great potential for coffee-based tourism, where coffee can be processed into practical and long-lasting instant products, as well as through establishing cafés that will become new attractions for visitors. Let us develop this together, from zero to hero, from nothing to something, through the collaboration of the community, the university, and the government,” said the Regent of Gunungkidul.

She also underlined the importance of fostering innovation and encouraging practical applications from universities, particularly the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, to ensure that the development of this area continues and provides tangible benefits for the community.

The collaboration in developing Gunung Gambar through research, education, and community empowerment is not new to Faperta UGM. Since 2018, the Department of Agronomy has initiated a conservative greening program in this area. This initiative was later continued in 2021 with the planting of thousands of robusta coffee seedlings on three hectares of land. With favorable agroclimatic conditions, coffee planted in Gunung Gambar can be harvested year-round, producing an average of one ton per year, and has already been marketed to various cafés across Gunungkidul.
One of the lecturers of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Ir. Supriyanta, M.P., expressed full support for the development of Gunung Gambar.

“We fully support the effort to develop the potential of Gunung Gambar. We are also committed to continuously building networks and communities to come here as part of tourism development. In essence, we are fully supporting Gunung Gambar and its coffee farmers,” emphasized Supriyanta.

The selection of Gunung Gambar as a program site cannot be separated from its ecological potential as well as its cultural and historical values. The area stands as a real example of synergy between the community, the university, and the government in realizing the principles of tridharma, particularly in community service. Through KKN-PPM, UGM agriculture students are actively involved in designing and implementing a coffee-based ecosystem development rooted in cooperation and local wisdom—from planning, cultivation, and management to product downstreaming.

This activity reflects the Faculty of Agriculture UGM’s commitment to ensuring the sustainability of community service programs. The initiative also aligns with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 15: Life on Land.

Authors: Agrit Kirana Bunda, Anin Dita Rahmadiyanti
Editor: Desi Utami

Agro Digital & Innovation Week “PADI JATENG 2025” was held on 18-22 July 2025, at the Soropadan Agro Center, Temanggung Regency, Central Java Province. One of the main focuses of this event was agricultural digitalization, which is increasingly needed to improve efficiency and productivity in the agribusiness sector. The series of programs at PADI JATENG 2025 was packaged with various engaging activities.

“Agriculture in English is Agri and culture. Therefore, we designed this agro week to also showcase cultural elements that remain inseparable from farmers’ lives,” emphasized Opik Mahendra, S.P., M.Sc., Head of Bapeltan Central Java.

On the second day, 19 July 2025, a series of agricultural digitalization workshops was held, featuring speakers from Desa Apps, Faculty of Agriculture UGM, who presented on digital information technology in agriculture. Desa Apps UGM is an innovative platform developed by the Faculty of Agriculture UGM to support digital-based agricultural management at the village level. Through this application, farmers can access information such as cultivation techniques, market opportunities, and harvest reporting more easily and in a structured way. In addition to Desa Apps, UGM also provides assistance through online training programs organized via the Lentera DESA website. Through this platform, farmers can join agricultural training sessions for free, anytime and anywhere.

During the Agricultural Digitalization Workshop, participants were highly enthusiastic in joining the hands-on session of creating training accounts on the Lentera DESA website, which is part of the Desa Apps platform. Participants actively tried various features and learned how to make use of this technology to support their farming activities. The strong participation reflected the high interest of farmers and agribusiness actors in adopting digital technology. Through this initial step, farmers are expected to engage more intensively in training activities to enhance agricultural human resource capacity toward Indonesia Emas 2045.

The contribution of Desa Apps UGM at Agro Digital & Innovation Week “PADI JATENG 2025” offered real solutions for the agricultural transformation in Central Java. With digital technology, agricultural productivity is expected to increase while also making farm management easier for farmers. Collaboration between academia, government, and the community becomes the key to the success of this innovation in supporting sustainable agricultural development. This initiative also reflects the tangible contribution of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM to Indonesia’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Authors: Rani Nur Rochim, Anin Dita Rahmadiyanti
Editor: Desi Utami
Photo: Desa Apps UGM

On Monday, 2 June, 2025, the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), once again held the Entrepreneurship Expo at the Prof. Harjono Danoesastro Auditorium, Faperta UGM. The 2025 Entrepreneurship Expo marked the second year of the event, which is part of the Entrepreneurship course practicum initiated by the lecturers and assistants of the Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Study Program (EPA). This year’s Expo became a platform for students to present their creativity and innovations in the food and beverage (FnB) business. Compared to last year, a greater variety of food and beverage products became the new highlight of the 2025 Entrepreneurship Expo.

The main goal of organizing this Entrepreneurship Expo is to implement various business ideas designed by students in the form of business model canvases and business plans they have developed during the practicum sessions. The Expo is designed as a space for students not only to understand the theories of entrepreneurship learned in lectures but also to directly apply them in real-life practice. By participating in this activity, students are expected to gain valuable experience in designing, preparing, and presenting a complete business concept. In addition, the event also aims to foster confidence, enhance creativity, and sharpen communication and teamwork skills—competencies that are crucial in the entrepreneurial world.

“We hope the 2025 Entrepreneurship Expo can ignite students’ enthusiasm to keep innovating, create new business opportunities, and nurture an entrepreneurial spirit that is resilient, independent, and ready to face challenges in the business world—especially through digital marketing initiatives that the students have carried out. All the food and beverage products offered are downstream products of agriculture, so we hope that more students will become entrepreneurs, particularly in the agricultural sector,” said Dr. Hani Perwitasari, S.P., M.Sc., EPA lecturer.

The agricultural downstream concept was reflected in the food and beverages presented at the 2025 Entrepreneurship Expo. All of the products sold at this event were made from fruits and vegetables, which are downstream agricultural products. One booth, for example, sold vegetable dim sum.

“This vegetable dim sum is an innovation from the usual meat-based dim sum, which we combined with vegetables as an agricultural downstream product. This event has had a big impact on us as it trained our entrepreneurial spirit—from planning and preparation to promotion and negotiation, which are closely related to what we study as EPA students,” explained one student.

Not only did the event serve as a platform for learning and business development for students, but it also reflected Faperta UGM’s efforts and commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Authors: Melvinna Rafida and Muhamad Fathan Mubina
Editor   : Desi Utami