Multi Stakeholders Discussion for Family Farming National Action Plan and Strategic Activities Workshop in Jakarta

Agriculture is crucial for Indonesia’s economy, accounting for 14 percent of GDP. On average, 93 percent of Indonesia’s farmers are small family farmers that cultivate on modest land plots averaging 0.6 hectares. Farmers in Indonesia are substantial part of Asia Pacific farmers that comprises of more than 70 percent of small-scale family farmers in the world. Family farmers produce 80 percent of the region’s food.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) in 2017, to serve as a framework for countries to develop public policies and investments to support family farming. The Decade of Family Farming presents an excellent opportunity to contribute to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in inclusive, collaborative, and coherent way.

Today, around 100 participants that came from various backgrounds, mostly from the farmers organization and government ministries and agencies across the country, gathered in Jakarta through a hybrid workshop, “Multi Stakeholders Discussion for Family Farming National Action Plan and Strategic Activities” to discuss the transformation of family farming activities as a subject of national priority.

Several line ministries, including Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, National Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), National Food Agency (BAPANGNAS) and other relevant stakeholders with Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nation (FAO) discussed with farmers representatives on how to move forward to agree on the National Action Plan for Family Farming (NAPFF) and its strategic plan.

“The enabling policy environment to strengthen family farming will underpin further actions to respond to the current social, economic, and environmental challenges”, said Rajendra Aryal FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste.

“It is therefore critical to build on and strengthen supportive policies, investments, and institutional frameworks for family farming at national and sub-national levels on inclusive and effective governance and on timely and geographically relevant data”, added Aryal further. Ministry of Agriculture has been taking a lead to implement the ‘Home yard for Sustainable Food Program (Pekarangan untuk Pangan Berkekanjutan P2L in Bahasa Indonesia)’ as one of the flagship initiative programmes in family farming in multistake holders .

Today's meeting mobilized a multi stakeholders consensus to place family farming a national priority supported by various ministries and farmers' organizations. The results of the discussion to strengthen the National Action Plan for Family Farming and its Strategic Actions.