Pre-Workshop Discussion on Foresight for Transforming Indonesia's Food Systems

Bogor, July 1, 2024 – A pre-workshop discussion on “Foresight and Metrics to Accelerate Food, Land, and Water Systems Transformation” was held, gathering experts from various sectors to refine the modeling and analysis framework for Indonesia’s food systems transformation. The discussion was part of a collaborative initiative between the Faculty of Economics and Management at IPB University, BRIN, and BAPPENAS, in partnership with IFPRI and Bioversity International. The session aimed to address key challenges and opportunities in transforming Indonesia's agricultural and food systems. Prominent participants included Prof. Bustanul Arifin, Dr. Agus (BRIN), and Dr. Djarot (BAPPENAS), among others. Discussions focused on several critical points:

Incorporating Key Variables into TFP Analysis

Prof. Bustanul Arifin emphasized the importance of including seed data in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) analysis for main commodities like rice and corn. He noted that the absence of such data could limit the comprehensiveness of the findings.

Strengthening Research and Innovation

Dr. Agus highlighted the need to detail how research and innovation could strengthen TFP, emphasizing the role of public and market policies, credit strategies, and the involvement of state-owned enterprises.

Infrastructure and Policy Integration

Dr. Djarot suggested integrating public infrastructure, such as irrigation and transportation, into TFP modeling, while also exploring strategies to enhance land quality and minimize production costs.

High-Value Agriculture (HVA) and Rural Transformation

Prof. Tahlim Sudaryanto noted a significant shift towards High-Value Agriculture (HVA), which has become a major driver of productivity. He stressed the importance of supporting rural transformation through downstream processing.

Aquaculture and Climate Resilience

Discussions also covered aquaculture development, with insights from BAPPENAS highlighting the potential of blue food systems and the need to address feed challenges through localized solutions.

Addressing Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss

Experts acknowledged the pressing issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, recommending the use of models like IMPACT to develop resilient agricultural systems.

This pre-workshop served as a crucial step in preparing for the main event, which aims to create actionable strategies for accelerating the transformation of Indonesia's food, land, and water systems. Further insights and outcomes from this initiative will be shared in the upcoming expert consultation. For more information, please contact the organizing committee.