The 9th COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (CoP) MEETING ON STRATEGIC ROLE OF FEMALE FARMER’S GROUP IN SUPPORTING FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY
Rural Advisory Services for Southeast Asia (RASSEA), in collaboration with the Agency for Agricultural Extension (BPP) of Cikampek Subdistrict, held the 9th Community of Practices (CoP) meeting virtually via the Zoom platform on March 21, 2025. This meeting featured insights from Ms. Ida Widya Utami, a Coordinator for Agricultural Extension at the Department of Agriculture and Food Security in Karawang Regency. The participants of the CoP were from diverse backgrounds.
Ms. Ida Widya Utami emphasized food and nutrition security as strategic issues within agricultural development, structured around four key pillars: food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, and price stability. She highlighted the crucial role of women in agriculture, primarily through Female Farmer Groups (FFGs), in managing household food resources and agricultural production, positioning FFGs as essential agents for empowering women farmers.
Karawang Regency possesses significant agricultural and human resources, including 97 civil servant extension officers, 67 contracted officers (PPPK), and 16 temporary field assistants (THL-TBPP). These officers support 2,378 farmer groups, including 23 farmer economic groups (KEP). Cikampek Subdistrict alone has 23 active farmer groups, eight combined association of farmer groups (Gapoktan), eight FFGs, and 10 livestock groups, spanning an agricultural area of 484 hectares across 10 villages.
Figure 1. Participants at the ninth meeting of the Community of Practice (CoP) on Nutrition-Sensitive Agricultural Extension.
The CoP highlighted successful initiatives by local FFGs, such as optimizing home garden plots (200-400 m²) for diversified food production, including cassava, sweet potato, and banana, and practicing sustainable agriculture using organic fertilizers and modern IoT technologies. Additionally, FFGs produce animal-based foods such as tilapia, catfish, chicken eggs, and sheep, which enhance family nutrition and generate supplementary income.
The groups also process agricultural products by creating healthy, value-added items such as gluten-free cassava egg rolls, which are marketed locally and through online platforms like Instagram. These products meet essential food safety standards, including Halal and PIRT certifications.
Additionally, FFGs actively offer nutritional education and food safety training, promoting balanced, nutritious, and safe food practices (B2SA) within the community. Strategic multi-sector collaboration has played a vital role in their success, involving institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Cooperative and SME Department, the Karawang Regency Agricultural Office, and IPB University, which provides technical training, strengthens institutions, and develops entrepreneurial skills.
The CoP concluded by recognizing FFGs as essential drivers of household food security and improved nutrition, emphasizing the need for ongoing support from the government, academia, and the private sector, along with consistent monitoring and evaluation to ensure the program’s effectiveness and sustainability (RA).
