Why food security should begin at the community level
At the heart of food security lies more than just access to food; it is about communities having the power to define, grow, and sustain their food systems. Across Indonesia, particularly in remote areas, local champions are weaving resilience, tradition, and innovation into the fabric of their response to the climate crisis.
Take Tapobali Village in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Andika, a 26-year-old former migrant labourer and member of Koalisi Pangan Baik, a community within the VCA Indonesia alliance, returned home from Malaysia’s palm oil plantations in search of purpose and sustainability. In Tapobali, changing rainfall patterns had made rice farming increasingly challenging. So, Andika turned to sorghum; once a regional staple, now being revived as a drought-resistant alternative. With support from Yayasan Pembangunan Sosial Ekonomi Larantuka (Yaspensel), Andika helped initiate a sorghum farming programme. As it grew, the initiative aligned with VCA, building a movement grounded in local leadership. Together, they formed GEBETAN (Gerep Blamu Tapobali Wolewutun), a youth-led collective committed to sustainable farming. Today, GEBETAN unites 80% of Tapobali’s farmers, manages communal land, and champions food sovereignty. Among their innovations is sorghum coffee, a nutritious and marketable product. But their work extends beyond agriculture. Together with local women, they promote sorghum-based diets to tackle stunting and improve nutrition. They’ve also reintroduced Job’s tears (jali-jali), another climate-resilient crop. When the village spring dried up in 2022, GEBETAN responded by planting over 1,000 bamboo seedlings, funded through sorghum sales and community contributions. Bamboo, as a natural water reservoir, can store up to 5,000 litres in a single healthy cluster, offering long-term water security. This story, as captured by Alfa Gumilang for Yayasan Humanis dan Inovasi Sosial, one of the VCA Alliance members, highlights how food sovereignty, youth leadership, and climate adaptation are deeply interconnected at the grassroots.
This bottom-up approach is also thriving in other parts of Indonesia.
In Jayapura Regency, Papua, women and youth in Garusa and Beneik villages, mentored by WWF-Indonesia and PT. PPMA learnt composting techniques to support local horticulture. By 2024, 33 villagers (18 women in Beneik and 15 in Garusa) were producing compost independently. Their home gardens have improved access to nutritious food and generated additional income. One standout farmer, Naomi Sobor, expanded her garden and now sells vegetables via Facebook, inspiring others to join the movement.
Meanwhile, in Yogyakarta, urban farmers from the Suryo Makmur Collective (UFSM) cultivate vegetables using water-efficient methods. In partnership with the Agriculture Department and UPN University, they supply local restaurants and deliver vegetables to households with elderly residents and children—bringing both food and social impact to the community. In Manggarai District, NTT, youth advocacy led to the allocation of IDR 77 million from the Village Fund for organic farming initiatives. With guidance from Yayasan Ayo Indonesia and the Good Food Coalition, local groups conducted studies and held dialogues that helped embed climate strategies into village policy. The ripple effect is significant: across 12 villages in NTT, over 18,900 people have benefited from programmes that blend food systems, culture, and climate action. These efforts have mobilised more than IDR 1.5 billion in funding, from village budgets to international donors. With technical support from the Good Food/Pangan Baik Coalition and the Adaptation Coalition, communities are gaining tools to shape their own futures.
In Kawalelo Village, East Flores, the community secured IDR 43 million for spring conservation, safeguarding clean water for over 1,000 people, for both farming and drinking purposes. In Tambrauw District, Papua, traditional knowledge plays a central role. Communities have revived the “Sasi” system, a customary conservation practice that restricts access to natural resources to allow regeneration. With support from WWF and PIONER, this system now protects more than 53,000 hectares of forests and seas. Universities are also stepping up. In Maumere, Flores, Muhammadiyah University has committed to integrating local food narratives into academic life, through lectures, film screenings, and research, ensuring the next generation remains deeply connected to food sovereignty. Similarly, in Bandung and Gedongkiwo, women-led urban farming initiatives have influenced local planning, embedding food, sanitation, and waste systems into climate resilience strategies.
The message is clear: food security begins not with national mandates, but in kitchen gardens, communal fields, and village halls. These local ecosystems, when supported, become our strongest line of defence against climate shocks. Community-led action, rooted knowledge, and bottom-up advocacy: these are the seeds of climate justice.
When we invest in places like Tapobali, Garusa, or Kawalelo, we’re not just planting sorghum; we’re cultivating hope, resilience, and futures that belong to the people. That is why food security must start at the community level, because the most sustainable solutions emerge from the ground up.
