East Jakarta Strengthens Food Self-Sufficiency Through School Land Utilisation

The East Jakarta City Government is strengthening food resilience and self-sufficiency through the utilisation of available land within school environments.

‘I have held a focus group discussion (FGD) on how to harness the potential of school land for food security in East Jakarta,’ said Taufik Yulianto, Head of the East Jakarta Food Security, Marine, and Agriculture (KPKP) Sub-department, to ANTARA in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to Taufik, schools possess significant potential to support food security programmes because their land tenure is relatively secure and directly owned by educational institutions. Beyond producing food commodities, the initiative also aims to cultivate awareness and a culture of farming among students.

‘We hope that the community and students can become agents of change who spread the habit of utilising land and growing food at their own homes. In this way, the acceleration of the food security programme will have a more tangible impact,’ Taufik stated.

He noted that if approximately 30 per cent of the total schools could optimally utilise their available land for agricultural activities, it would provide substantial assistance. ‘That is what we must continue to encourage,’ he said.

Taufik also highlighted the crucial role of teachers in the programme’s success. He emphasised that teachers with a strong understanding and commitment are essential to passing on knowledge and enthusiasm to the students. ‘The key is consistency and effort in running this programme, so the benefits can be felt in the long term,’ he added.

The discussion involved 30 participants from various sectors, including academia, the business community, mass media, and representatives from educational institutions and Islamic boarding schools.