This commitment was conveyed by the Company in the Future Foods Forum (FFF), a discussion forum involving cross-sector stakeholders to discuss collaborative efforts to transform the national food system. This event was initiated by Unilever Indonesia; the Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Sciences; Bogor Agricultural University (CTSS IPB); the Institute for Economic and Social Research; the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI); and the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS). It was also attended by various companies, government agencies, related communities and academics.
Nurdiana Darus, the Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Unilever Indonesia, explained: “In line with our sustainability strategies that focus on these four issues: climate, nature, plastics, and livelihood, Unilever Indonesia continues to contribute to the environment and society. We realize that our business cannot survive without a good natural ecosystem, so it is important for us to support the collective efforts to achieve a healthier and more sustainable food system.”
“In realizing the sustainability of the food system, for more than a decade we have promoted sustainable agriculture to provide raw materials while maintaining environmental quality and improving the welfare of small farmers, one of these efforts is through the Bango Pangan Lestari program. Not only that, but we are also actively campaigning for educational programs that prioritize nutrition and healthy eating through the Royco Nutrimenu program.”
The agricultural sector, which is the main source of food in Indonesia, contributes hugely to the economy, which is an average of 13.22% of the National GDP in 2018-2022. In addition, the 2023 BPS Agricultural Census showed that the number of workers in the agricultural sector reached 28.61% of the total national workforce.
However, at the same time, agriculture contributes to global warming and is vulnerable to climate change. The challenges of the food system are also increasingly complex due to higher population growth, land degradation, and decreases in the numbers of farmers. This creates an urgency to re-conceptualize food security efforts and the national food system from upstream to downstream.
“Our mitigation and adaptation efforts are carried out by implementing “regenerative agriculture”, which promotes harmony with nature to help farmers build more resilient systems and healthier businesses by ensuring soil health for sustainable productivity and reducing carbon emissions. Until 2030, Unilever intends to globally implement this regenerative agriculture on one million hectares of land,” Nurdiana explained.
Unilever Indonesia is running a program that supports thousands of black soybean farmers in East Java by supporting them as they switch to regenerative farming systems. Starting this year, Unilever has been organizing a series of farmer trainings; it has created a “Farmer Field School” and developed 18 demo plots with regenerative agriculture principles to increase both black soybean productivity and on-farm biodiversity as well as improve long-term soil fertility and reduce carbon intensity.
Of course, transitioning to regenerative agriculture requires multi-stakeholder collaboration, so the Company has been engaging the entire supply chain and other stakeholders to positively impact the regeneration of nature, improve the welfare of farmers and local communities, maintain efficient use of resources, and produce quality food commodities for the fulfillment of resilient “Future Foods”.
Annisa Utami Seminar, Researcher from CTSS IPB explained: “Indonesia must start adopting more efficient and environmentally friendly farming methods, such as applying sustainable agricultural innovations; data-based agriculture that pays attention to ecosystem balance; integrated pest control systems that minimize the use of chemicals; and natural and sustainable agricultural inputs. This includes regenerative agriculture practices that maintain soil fertility and biodiversity.”
To consolidate the power of cross-sector collaboration to accelerate food system transformation through regenerative agriculture, the Future Foods Forum (FFF) was established as a partnership network and cross-sector discussion forum that addresses various issues surrounding food in Indonesia.
Anton Rizki, Chief Executive Officer of CIPS and Secretariat of FFF explained: “The objectives of FFF are in line with the government's SDG targets on two pillars: Zero Hunger to end malnutrition; and improving the health and well-being of the people. In the FFF network, we facilitate forum members' activities related to policies and programs aimed at achieving economic growth as well as food and nutrition security amidst increasing food demand and climate change issues.”
Through the FFF, Unilever Indonesia hopes to create synergy and collaboration with all parties to implement a sustainable and resilient food system transition through regenerative agriculture to improve the nutrition of all Indonesians, maintain biodiversity, improve the welfare of farmers, and change the behavior of Indonesians so that they choose to consume balanced, nutritious food.
“With the huge advantages that come with implementing the regenerative agriculture system to benefit both the environment and public welfare, more parties will hopefully join FFF and work together to combine academic research, policy implementation and programs so that together we can realize a better future food system,” Nurdiana concluded.