The Comparative Study of Youth-Related Agriculture Initiatives: Optimizing the Role of Indonesian Youth in Improving Food Security

Abstract

In the near future, the food insecurity risk is escalating if the surging population is not followed by increasing youth farmers while arable land is on a declining trend. Only 4 per cent (less than 3.5 million) youth aged 15-35 work as a farmer in Indonesia since the current general perspective of working in agriculture sector seems unpromising for most youth. This worsens the state of food insecurity unless there is a breakthrough to ignite youth interest. While the proportion of youth population both in rural and urban Indonesia are relatively similar (23 per cent and 25 per cent respectively in 2018), different approaches might be needed. Fortunately, many initiatives have been commenced to appeal to more youth. These approaches allow youth to acquire agriculture skills, from enabling land access to exposing the sector to the digital world. Using the available information acquired from secondary data and interviews, this study aims to identify, compare, and define the most viable approach amongst the existing initiatives, including land access, crop insurance, and incentive for youth farmers in rural area; and mainstreaming digital platform such as peer-to-peer lending, local product promotion, and vertical farming to engage urban youth. Eventually, the recommendation from this study will optimize youth role in improving the state of food security