Initiating Food Security from Limited Backyard Land
Food security can begin in one’s own garden or the immediate surrounding environment. This is particularly true in the densely populated city of Jakarta, where unused land still exists that could serve as the foundation for food security.
A movement has been initiated by Sahid University (Usahid), which is an empowerment programme based on the utilisation of limited land in the Menteng Dalam Village, Tebess, South Jakarta. The objective is to strengthen food security at the household scale and encourage urban community independence in facing fluctuations in basic commodity prices.
In addition to being more economically valuable, this can also serve as a means to build independence from a community perspective. The Head of the Usahid PKM Team, Purnomosutji Dyah Prinajati, stated that the key to this movement is transforming public concern over market price surges into concrete action towards food self-sufficiency.
Starting with olericulture cultivation training from 30 June 2026 to direct practice in sowing superior seeds on 6 July 2026, the community is being taught to optimise every corner of vacant land and residential backyards.
“Our focus is to provide practical skills so that every family is able to produce their own basic food supplies independently. We equip residents with an understanding of ideal planting media, such as formulations of topsoil, compost, and burnt husks, as well as vegetable seed sowing techniques to ensure optimal and sustainable harvests,” explained Purnomosutji Dyah Prinajati.
The plant commodities being developed focus on types of vegetables for daily consumption that are crucial for family nutritional security and are often contributors to inflation, such as chilli, tomato, pak choy, bitter melon, water spinach, spinach, and mustard greens. Planting is carried out efficiently using pot and polybag methods, which are highly suitable for densely populated residential areas.
High enthusiasm has been shown by housewives and environmental cadres in Menteng Dalam. Armed with the knowledge and superior seeds obtained, residents are no longer entirely dependent on market supplies, but are instead ready to harvest their kitchen needs directly from their own backyards.
The synergy between academics under the auspices of LPPM Usahid, the government through the 2026 PKM Grant from the Directorate General of Research and Community Service, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, and the Bank Sampah Sehati community proves that a robust national food security can begin with food independence movements at the household level.