Nowadays, farming is not only blending with mud and water.  Farming also means entering the world of digitalization, be it for marketing, learning the latest technology to boost production, or sharing success stories.

Agriculture in Indonesia has been experiencing acceleration in agriculture digitalization, as observed especially during the pandemic.  In the spirit of solidarity, IT  companies reached out to the farmers to support their selling, especially during restriction on mobilization and vice versa. Digitalization is thus becoming more vital for farmers as well as for the development of agriculture in Indonesia.

Against this backdrop, FAO is embracing digitalization to share the agriculture best practices with the latest 3D technology through a virtual exhibition. Converting an offline exhibition into digital mode brings a new experience for the visitors, especially the youth.

The virtual exhibition that can be visited on www.pahlawanpangan.com presents the stories of farmers, fishers, livestock herders and forest community members who survived during the pandemic. There are four sectors that are presented in the exhibition, namely animal health, agriculture, marine and fisheries, and forestry.  

“During the difficult times of pandemic, we had no other choice than to modernize our system, especially in the food value chain. If you see the statistics, there is also a growth in the communication services during the pandemic. Mobile services, online marketing, e-commerce, big data, blockchain, GIS and geospatial platform and knowledge management system have been part of modern society, and now the farmers are using it for their day-to-day lives", said Rajendra Aryal FAO Representative in Indonesia.

In the virtual exhibition, aside from virtual booths and cinema, the visitors can see models of poultry farms that have applied 3Zones biosecurity scheme to prevent germs from contaminating the farms, and the food products.

  The exhibition also shows the miniature of the implementation of Beje pond fisheries,a traditional fisheries method from Central Kalimantan where the Dayak people dig small ponds in swamp and peat areas in the proximity of a large river. During the rainy season, the river overflows bringing the fish into the Beje ponds. When the water recedes, most of the fish are trapped in the Beje and harvested by the community in the dry season. Sustainable fisheries practice like Beje plays major role in the food system and ecosystem conservation.

 “With more and more people having access to faster Internet in the country, digital agriculture is one of the main vehicles for transforming Indonesia's food system. Let us also remember the fact that Indonesia being a huge archipelago, has issues with geographical access in many places. Digitalization therefore remains the key for the agri-food transformation in Indonesia", added Rajendra.

The virtual exhibition will run on the website until end of December 2022