Scout Service Supports National Food Security
Food security is no longer merely a sectoral issue but has become a strategic national agenda. Amid global dynamics filled with uncertainties, from climate change and supply chain disruptions to geopolitical pressures, a country’s ability to meet its own food needs determines its sovereignty, stability, and sustainable national development. A nation will be strong if it has robust food security.
In this context, the grand vision to achieve food self-sufficiency, as outlined in President General (Retired) H Prabowo Subianto’s Astacita policy direction, requires the involvement of all elements of the nation. Food self-sufficiency cannot be built solely through structural policies at the central level but must also be supported by social forces growing from society, including through the Scout Movement. In line with this direction, in February 2026, the Ministry of Agriculture encouraged the Scout Movement to become a strategic force in national agricultural development.
The younger generation must not merely be spectators in this grand agenda but must emerge as the main actors of change. They must act, think, and contribute to providing solutions.
SCOUTS AND FOOD SECURITY
Several research findings show that the Scout Movement has a tangible contribution to building independence and skills among the younger generation relevant to food security issues. A study published by Galuh University in the Journal of Scientific Community Thought with an Agricultural Perspective (2022) found that members of Saka Tarunabumi have better technical agribusiness abilities and directly contribute to food stability at the village level through youth farming groups. This indicates that non-formal education based on scouting can bridge the younger generation with real practices in the food sector.
Another finding from the Sylva Lestari Journal of Lampung University (2021/2022) shows that the development of Saka Wanabakti is effective in increasing environmental awareness as well as forest conservation skills, including seedling and maintenance techniques. In a broader perspective, these efforts become an important part of a sustainable food security system.
Scouting activities shape independent character as well as collective problem-solving abilities. Through the patrol system, Scout members are trained to make decisions, adapt, and collaborate in facing challenges. These abilities form an important foundation in shaping a generation that is not only resilient individually but also capable of working in complex social systems.
These findings reveal a strong common thread: that Scouting is not merely a space for activities but an ecosystem of development capable of producing an independent, productive, and solution-oriented generation. From here, the relevance of the Scout Movement in addressing food security challenges finds its real and tested foundation.
JAMBOREE AND SCOUTS’ EFFORTS TO BUILD INDEPENDENCE
Building on this foundation, the 12th National Jamboree in 2026, to be held from 13 to 20 August 2026 at the Cibubur Camping Ground and Tourism Graha (Buperta), is not merely interpreted as a large gathering of Senior Scouts. More than that, the Jamboree represents a collective effort to strengthen the direction of youth development in alignment with the nation’s strategic needs, particularly in supporting the grand agenda of food independence and self-sufficiency.
In the context of national policy, this direction aligns with the development vision in the President’s Astacita, which places national independence as a top priority, including in the food sector. The President encourages the realisation of food self-sufficiency as an effort to reduce import dependency and strengthen love for domestic products.
This independence is not only interpreted as production capability but also encompasses distribution capabilities, resource management, and strengthening a sustainable food ecosystem. Within this framework, human resource development becomes the main key, and the younger generation becomes a strategic actor towards long-term success.
The 12th National Jamboree is then positioned as a concrete space to translate this grand vision into youth development practices. It becomes a forum where national values, life skills, and social awareness are integrated into a holistic and contextual learning process.
More than just an event, the Jamboree functions as a social learning laboratory. Within it, the younger generation not only receives material but experiences directly the learning process that shapes ways of thinking, attitudes, and skills. They learn to adapt, collaborate, make decisions, and manage resources in real situations.
The theme raised, ‘Be Creative, Innovate, Skilled, and Independent to Support Food Self-Sufficiency’, reflects the direction of development to be achieved. Creativity and innovation are no longer placed as additional values but as core competencies. The younger generation is encouraged to view challenges as opportunities and to present relevant and applicable solutions.
DEVELOPMENT IN THE JAMBOREE
In practice, various activities in the Jamboree are directed towards nurturing productive and solution-oriented thinking. Participants are not only invited to understand concepts but also to directly practise skills related to food management, utilisation of local resources, and development of simple innovations that can be applied in their respective environments.
Strengthening life skills becomes the core of the entire process. The independence built does not stop at survival abilities but develops into abilities to create, manage, and add value. This includes technical, managerial, and social abilities necessary for building ongoing independence.