From Local Wisdom to Innovation: Collaboration is the Foundation of Papua's Food Sovereignty | Republika.co.id Business Edukasi Article

Fakfak, Papua Barat – Strengthening collaboration across various sectors is identified as the crucial element for achieving food security and sovereignty in Papua. This was a central theme at a food security seminar organized by the Student Executive Body (BEM) of the State Polytechnic of Fakfak (Polinef).

Budiman, the Vice Director I for Academic Affairs at Polinef, lauded the seminar's focus on food security, emphasizing its link to reducing stunting rates through the availability of nutritious food. Dosen Agribisnis Polinef, Dessy Eka Kuliahsari, explained the distinction between food security, which concerns availability, and food sovereignty, which focuses on a region's ability to meet its own food needs. She noted that while Fakfak possesses natural resources, optimal utilization of local staples like taro, banana, yam, and sago is needed to reduce reliance on external supplies.

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Fakfak actually has the potential to be food independent. Our challenge is not in the availability of natural resources, but how to optimally utilize local potential.

Apnel Hegemur, Chairman of the Mbaham Matta Fakfak Customary Council, stressed the importance of integrating food security efforts with the preservation of indigenous local wisdom. He stated that local foods are not just sustenance but integral to the identity and culture of indigenous communities. Hegemur urged the younger generation to embrace and develop the rich food heritage passed down by their ancestors, warning against the abandonment of traditional foods like breadfruit, yam, and taro. He also highlighted the necessity of respecting customary land rights in any future food development initiatives and called for inter-institutional collaboration, including with the government and the military.

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Local food is not just a source of food, but also part of the identity and culture of indigenous communities. Therefore, efforts to achieve food sovereignty must begin by preserving, developing, and utilizing the potential of local food inherited from our ancestors.