MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, BANDUNG — Muhammadiyah is extending its reach beyond its traditional areas of focus – education, healthcare, and social services. The movement is now actively working to strengthen the national economy, with a particular emphasis on empowering farmers. Farmers play an essential role in ensuring food security for Indonesia’s ever-growing population.
Dadang spoke about the very real possibility of a global food crisis in the near future. Many experts believe that food security will be a major challenge for humanity in the coming years. Countries like Vietnam are currently exporting food, but they may be forced to stop in the future as they face their own food crises due to environmental damage.
In response to this potential crisis, Muhammadiyah is taking a proactive approach. The organization’s “Jihad for Food Sovereignty” initiative promotes self-sufficiency in food production. This movement goes beyond Muhammadiyah itself and actively seeks collaboration and partnerships with various stakeholders.
“We are making significant advancements in areas related to future food security. With a food crisis looming, it’s essential that we reduce our dependence on imports,” said Dadang at the harvest festival held by the Muhammadiyah Council for Community Empowerment in collaboration with the Muhammadiyah Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise in Pengalengan, West Java on Saturday (June 8).
Dadang expressed his hope that a return to organic farming methods would spark renewed interest in agriculture among young people. “We believe that this shift will encourage more people to get involved in farming and produce high-quality agricultural products,” he stated.
Through this empowerment of farmers, Dadang is confident that Indonesia can achieve self-sufficiency in food production and eliminate its reliance on imported food. He believes that Indonesia’s fertile land, combined with the adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural technologies, has the potential to significantly increase both the quality and quantity of the country’s agricultural output.
