Realizing Food Sovereignty, Ganjar Ready To Establish A Political Contract With IPB

Presidential Candidate Ganjar Pranowo attended "Food and Agriculture Summit III and Dialogue for Presidential Candidates for the Republic of Indonesia 2024-2029" at the IPB International Convention Center, Bogor, Tuesday (19/12/2023). (ANTARA)

BOGOR - Candidate for president number 3 Ganjar Pranowo admitted that he is ready to enter into a contract with the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) University to realize food sovereignty if he is elected to the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections (Pilpres).

However, Ganjar said that his attitude was different from the advice of President Joko Widodo to him. He conveyed this when attending "Food and Agriculture Summit III and Dialogue for Presidential Candidates for the Republic of Indonesia 2024-2029" at the IPB International Convention Center, Bogor City, Tuesday, December 19.

"In the National Working Meeting (national working meeting) our food and the President (Jokowi) at that time (said) 'I've been whispering with Pak Ganjar, later if he is inaugurated he will directly talk about food sovereignty. Prepare the planning from now on', the language is like that. If I don't, sir, prepare a meeting and contract with IPB. That's more fitting," said Ganjar in Bogor City, West Java, Tuesday.

He also said that in the contract he wanted the IPB to play a role in preparing various aspects that support food sovereignty.

"Contrak dengan IPB ini, tanaman se musim dalam setahun sudah terlihat hasilnya. Sisanya apa? Paksa. Ini utah peta Indonesia, ini utuk daerah pertaniannya, spatialnya sudah ada, masuk ke sana," katanya.

"Mr. Arif Satria (IPB Chancellor) how many strengths can you prepare? 'This is Mr. Ganjar's research, this is the seed, this is cultivation, and the projected results are like this, we include the technology'," he added.

In addition, he asked to be able to involve the Merdeka Learning program at IPB in the contract.

"Sir (Arif), I need an escort, sir. I want Merdeka Learning to be realized in one year, so I ask IPB students to guard it in just two years," he said.

He emphasized that the contract was his commitment with vice presidential candidate Mahfud Md, despite the choice of academics in the 2024 presidential election.

"This is a commitment, take and give. It's okay with your taste, I've never imposed (the election in the presidential election), but this is concrete," he said.

The General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia on Monday, November 13, 2023, determined three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates to participate in the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections (Pilpres).

The results of the draw and determination of the number of participants for the 2024 presidential election on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the pair Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar number 1, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka number 2, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md serial number 3.

The KPU has also set a campaign period from November 28, 2023 to February 10, 2024, while the voting schedule is on February 14, 2024.