IPB University Hosts FGD on Drafting of Bill on Protection and Empowerment of Farmers
IPB University hosted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Empirical Studies for Drafting a Bill on Protection and Empowerment of Farmers.
This activity is a collaboration between Committee II of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia and IPB University to gather academic input for the improvement of regulations on farmer protection in Indonesia.
Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Agromaritime Development, Prof Ernan Rustiadi, said that this forum is important to provide constructive and comprehensive input on the third amendment to Law No. 19 of 2013 on the Protection and Empowerment of Farmers.
“The agricultural sector has a multifunctional character, not only providing food, fiber, and various basic needs of the community, but also making a major contribution to the environment and the welfare of rural communities,” said Prof Ernan when opening the forum which took place at the IPB Dramaga Campus (11/3).
However, he continued, many of the benefits of agriculture are non-marketable, so their contribution is often not counted economically. This situation means that farmers, as the main actors in food production, often do not receive appreciation commensurate with their contributions.
He added that pricing policies and various forms of incentives still need to be strengthened in order to protect farmers’ welfare more comprehensively.
“To prevent farmers from suffering disproportionate losses, state guarantees can take the form of protection and empowerment,” he said.
He further emphasized that the revision of the Law on the Protection and Empowerment of Farmers is a reasonable step in line with the development of agriculture and the dynamics of national policy.
“IPB University, as a university that has had a strong commitment to agriculture from the outset, is ready to provide academic contributions to the improvement of these regulations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chair of Committee II DPD RI, Dr Badikenita Br Sitepu, said that this FGD activity was part of the stages of drafting the third amendment to Law Number 19 of 2013.
She said that the agricultural sector has a strategic role not only in economic aspects, but also in social and environmental functions.
According to her, there are still various structural problems faced by farmers, including low farmer regeneration, land ownership inequality, limited access to production facilities and financing, and vulnerability to climate change and commodity price fluctuations.
“Through this discussion forum, we hope to receive a lot of input from participants and speakers. The results of this discussion will serve as a key reference to enrich the draft bill on the third amendment to Law Number 19 of 2013 concerning the protection and empowerment of farmers,” she said.
She added that the drafting of this bill also takes into account various international lessons and policy approaches that emphasize the role of the state in protecting vulnerable groups, including farmers.
Therefore, strengthening social protection, modernizing agricultural technology, strengthening cooperative institutions, and increasing the added value of agricultural products are the main directions in the revision of this regulation. (dr) (IAAS/SSR)
