TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today launched a programme to assist smallholder farmers in West Kalimantan to adopt organic methods for rice production. The programme is part of the Government’s plan to create “1,000 Organic Villages”. The Organic Village model is one of national development priorities (Nawacita), which is focused on promoting economic independence of key domestic sectors.

The Director of Processing and Marketing of Food Crops in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gatut Sumbogodjati said, "Organic produce has become an alternative food option for Indonesian people, although it is not yet consumed on a large scale." Organic farming actors currently tend to focus on export markets. The Government has been giving them support with agricultural input facilities, post-harvest facilities, and certification.

The programme will be operational over two years in rice-growing villages in Sanggau district, West Kalimantan, where provincial officials and local NGOs have identified the farmer groups that will enable the communities’ uptake and adoption of the new farming methods. FAO supports the shift to organic production agriculture because it emphasizes ecosystem health rather than relying on manufactured agricultural inputs. “The new system reduces potentially harmful environmental and social impacts by eliminating the use of inputs such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and genetically modified varieties”, said FAO Representative in Indonesia, Stephen Rudgard.

The emphasis on the ecosystem approach will produce safe and healthy food. FAO defines food security as ‘when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

The programme’s activities are focused on enabling production of rice that can be officially certified as organic, based on the use of certified inputs, and using processing facilities that link the organic branding to market opportunities. Gatut Sumbogodjati stressed the collaboration with FAO in the organic agriculture progamme is prioritized in the border area, with regard to market accessibility including Malaysia, and the government's efforts to increase border communities income.

TEMPO.CO