Role of Youth as Agricultural Squad in Food Security in South Kalimantan

Summary
Role of Youth as Agricultural Squad in Food Security of South Kalimantan

By:
Buyung Al amin

Development of food security is a key factor in the development of a nation. Food security is a major subsystem with food availability, distribution, and consumption. Massive government commitment to the aspects of food security for nation building and national defense. That food security is a very complex system that includes the functions of supply, distribution and consumption, then it means that food security is a system that was built across sectors, stakeholders, and across regions.

Youth as agents of the nation are able to take an important role in strengthening food security. These functions enable a process, involving, and give authority to the community that can be a source of empowerment of youth to the wider community.

This modern, many aspects that involve youth in its movement with the underlying that the potential for youth empowerment is an effective and appropriate considering the role that not only stop the settlement problem in the present, but also far into the future so that the long term.


South Kalimantan is an agricultural area with potential for food production that is able to fulfill the needs of society and able to occupy the top 10 nationally in its food security in 2008. Food availability include the availability of staple food such as soybeans, cooking oil, sugar, flour, meat, rice and other basic foodstuffs.

On the availability of rice, South Kalimantan shows the number of surplus rather than public purposes. But the fact that high rice prices surged at the beginning of the year (growing season) so the total surplus for the availability is such a big question mark for the society.

Strategic issues in the development of food security can be viewed from three aspects (availability, distribution, and consumption), namely:

1. Production, especially the availability and adequacy at the household level, regional and national.
2. Distribution of food distribution among regions, over time, and between income groups of society, including standart food prices.
3. 3. Consumption which includes improving the quality of nutrient intake, food diversification, and the vigilance of food and nutrition system.

Based on the problems of food security above, it can be taken a gap where the youth can play a role in solving the problem, they even can act as social partners to achieve goals of food security and farmers' welfare.

Youth can play a role in aspects of production with very good and beneficial activities directed to carry out the following:
1. Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology and Development
Conducting the study of agriculture by inviting experts, students, other students and the general public about the prevention of pest problems, problems of land use, new varieties as well as in other fields with the special guidance of experts in agriculture.
2. Doing Advocacy Efforts on Food Security Issues
Youth can join a group and then analize the problems so that they result some recommendations and assist advocacy efforts if necessary. For example in lands conversion cases.
3. Supervision of Government Policy
Some government policies on food security have already been set in law. But the reality on the ground often abusing or doing violation of these policies by the public. Youth are able to act as an independent oversight agency that is active on the issue.
4. Youth as Initiators of Innovations for the Motivation of The Farmer
Brilliant ideas are not limited to youth, it is included in the innovation system that allows to enhance the spirit of the farmers in its activities. For example, giving reward to the farmers who are able to develop and manufacture and successfully market their superior rice and attracted the attention of other farmers to take part in activities that closely related achievement by improving food security.

On the distribution aspect there are many things you can do the youth in order to maintain the stability of food security, these efforts include:
1. Economic Control for The Farmers
Farmer Economy Control is a system that analyzes the cash flow of farm households in order to get data on household micro-economy. Based on these datas later made a regular savings system which at times can be taken by farmers to meet their needs so that farmers do not need to sell quickly harvest to meet their household needs.
2. Grain Bank
Management of buffer stock of grain banks are attractive solutions to the aspects of this distribution. Setting sales period of grain is one system that is able to stabilize food prices and food availability in the market.
3. Routine Education of Agribusiness
Youth groups can play a role by facilitating agribusiness education by inviting experts in the field of agribusiness and then agribusiness sciences to the public.

In addition to production and distribution aspects, consumption aspect plays an important role because the public taste of local rice which can’t be replaced with superior rice. Efforts to do by youth group are:

1. Giving an understanding of the importance of food diversification to the public.
2. Doing consuming tests in cooperation with the government by distributing rice superior in a certain amount to the public on a regular basis so that people will get used.
3. Another way is with the dominance of superior rice on food stalls in the South Kalimantan using persuasive manner in order to gradually change consumption patterns.