Covid-19 has had many impacts on people’s lives around the world, including the agricultural sector. Food security between countries is glassy because the marketing process is disrupted. Based on these conditions, the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture, Diponegoro University took the initiative to hold an international conference entitled “Reframing Food Sovereignty After Covid 19”. This webinar is not only to think about how the condition of world food security after the pandemic has occurred, but it also supports an increased understanding of SDS’s 4 goals, which are related to zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, climate change, and life on land.
The webinar, which was held virtually through the zoom application, was attended by 500 participants from all regions in Indonesia, even the furthest from Turkey. Starting from 08.30 to 16.30, all participants listened to the conditions and solutions presented by 4 speakers from Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Each of them is Prof. Peter J. Batt, Ass. Prof. Dr. Patthra Pason, Jonatahan Vergara Sabiniano, M.Sc, and Prof. Anang M. Legowo.
Opened by Dr. Ir. Bambang Waluyo H. E. P., M.S., M.Agr., IPU as the Dean of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture, Diponegoro University said that this event is a multi-stakeholder joint effort to redefine what food security means after a pandemic. In his remarks, he also indicated that this big step is not only the responsibility of the government or farmers, but also consumers, activists, and the private sector. Companies from upstream to downstream must also take part because this is a joint work, starting from providing input, production, post-harvest, to marketing.
Prof. Peter J. Batt of Curtin University said that the pandemic has changed consumer tastes and lifestyles. This is actually an opportunity to increase the awareness of farmers as producers regarding health, environmental, and food safety issues. Added by Jonathan V. Sabiniano, M.Sc from the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines that covid-19 has brought changes to the distribution of livestock products in the Philippines. Mainly related to regional quarantine, policies, and the formation of a special team that handles food at regional and national levels.
On the other hand, Pason Paththra from the King Mongkut’s University of Technology emphasized that food security can be achieved if a modern agricultural system is created that utilizes the use of microbes to be more environmentally friendly. Lastly, Prof. Anang M. Legowo from Diponegoro University explained that apart from food and livestock products, the fruit sector also needs special attention. Covid-19 has caused awareness of the importance of fruit consumption. This can be an opportunity to create production, marketing, post-harvest policies, to local fruit consumption efforts.
At the end of the event, Dr. Siwi Gayatri as the head of the organizer said that all these ideas will be achieved when there is cooperation from various disciplines, both natural and social sciences. This event is also a vehicle for thinking about the fate of food security in the future, especially in Indonesia. An opportunity between researchers from the government, academics, farmers, and companies to exchange ideas in order to find a comprehensive solution to the problem of food security in the midst of the Covid-19 tragedy can be viewed comprehensively. In addition, this event is a vehicle for developing connections between stakeholders both at home and abroad in order to understand the condition of food security in various countries after the pandemic.
