Farmer Groups, Communities, and Cooperatives Drive Food Security in East Java

Several regions in East Java have successfully implemented community empowerment programmes to achieve food security. These empowerment efforts are being driven by farmer groups, cooperatives, and local communities.

In the Lamongan region of East Java, empowerment is led by the Koperasi Tani Ternak Literasi, located in Sumbersari Village, Sambeng District. This cooperative operates a sustainable communal cattle ranching system capable of independently producing organic fertiliser and animal feed. Tomi Distianto, Chairman of the cooperative, explained that the group began in 2022 as a simple livestock group breeding Limousin, Simmental, and local cattle breeds. Since then, it has evolved into a cooperative managing beef cattle, organic fertiliser processing, a satay stall, funeral service catering (akikah), and livestock education.