Indonesia: Urban farming a solution to food security issues during pandemic
This article is part of a public campaign by the Indonesian COVID-19 task force to raise people’s awareness about the pandemic.
The Jakarta Post Jakarta
October 27, 2020
Head of the Seruni urban farming group in RW 10, South Kebayoran Lama subdistrict, South Jakarta, Eka Yulianti plants water spinach seeds. The 290-square-meter garden, located in a densely populated area, can produce up to 80 kilograms of crops including spinach, mustard greens and lettuce. (The Jakarta Post/Vela Andapita )
Urban farming is currently on the rise in Indonesia as people across the country are forced to spend more time at home in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.
With little land in their backyards – or without any backyard at all – aspiring urban farmers should fret not, as they can grow various vegetables with limited space at home.
Endang Tri Margawati, an animal biotechnology researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said on Monday that the trend could actually become a solution to food security issues during the pandemic.
According to Endang, urban farming has been around for years; however, the number of urban farms could increase to support food supplies. Endang explained that there were various methods of urban farming that could be carried out, such as planting rice or hydroponic rice in a backyard or, alternatively, developing an integrated rice-fish farming system.
For sources of protein, Endang suggested that urbanites raise livestock such as chickens, ducks, goats, sheep and cows at home – a common practice in rural areas.
