Indef Economists Propose Cawapres Use Sustainable Agriculture Strategies To Realize Food Security

Senior Economist of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) Bustanul Arifin. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Senior Economist of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) Bustanul Arifin encourages Vice Presidential Candidates to use sustainable agricultural strategies to realize food security in Indonesia.

"In my suggestion, we want to hear breakthroughs such as sustainable agriculture as a strategy," said Bustul as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, January 19.

Bustanul said that sustainable agricultural strategies are used to overcome a number of food issues such as public affordability for access to nutritious food, food price fluctuations, to El Nino's impact on agriculture.

There are a number of strategies needed, including through the use of technology in organic agricultural management and environmentally friendly planting patterns that are in line with efforts to increase people's income and farmers.

According to him, this strategy has an impact on food products that are more nutritious, quality and healthy.

In addition, the need for community-based agricultural development initiatives, universities, businesses and not too many from the government.

To overcome agricultural challenges, it is also necessary to integrate a tough agricultural development strategy including climate smart agriculture (CSA) with organic agriculture and precision agriculture that is adaptive to climate change.

"Neighbor points and synergies must be built including reforms for agricultural input systems, subsidies for farmers' direct fertilizers and roadmaps for the development of organic fertilizers," he said.

Bustanul emphasized that the focus of soil restructuring (soil health) is through environmentally friendly planting patterns, a demand-driven strategy to ensure organic agricultural products.

Finally, investment in the agricultural human resources sector through the trident of education, training, and counseling systematically.

"Human capital investment through tridents of education, training, and agriculture systematically builds a sustainable agricultural future," he said.