Badanas Boss: The Red And White Kopdes Designed As A People's Economic Forum

JAKARTA - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi emphasized that accelerating the formation of Village Cooperatives/Redi Putih Villages throughout Indonesia is a strategic step in realizing food sovereignty based from villages.

"The Red and White Cooperative is designed as a forum for the people's economy at the site level which is an important instrument in building food sovereignty and the village economy," said Arief as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, May 23.

He conveyed that the government continues to accelerate the formation of the Red and White Village Cooperative through collaboration across ministries and institutions.

As of May 20, 2025, said Arief, as many as 26,565 villages and sub-districts throughout Indonesia have implemented the Musdessus as the first step in establishing village-based cooperatives.

In Central Kalimantan, of the 659 villages/kelurahan that have been socialized, 268 villages have held the Musdessus, 218 cooperatives are in the process of notary deed, and 4 cooperatives have officially become legal entities.

Arief said that Palangkaraya was the first area to complete the formation of the Red and White Cooperative in all areas of his village.

"Today, Palangkaraya has completed 100 percent of the formation of village cooperatives. We continue to encourage several other areas. The target is that all of Indonesia will be completed on July 12 and will be launched nationally in August 2025," he said.

Furthermore, he said, the Red and White Cooperative does not only act as a production, distribution and consumption agency for the village community, but also as a liaison for government strategic programs.

"Such as stabilizing food prices and increasing the added value of farmers' products and MSME players," said Arief.