Jakarta. The National Development Planning Ministry recently named Bakti Barito Foundation as the third-place winner for the 2023 Indonesia’s SDG Action Award for the Philanthropy category.

Indonesia’s SDGs Action Award -- which was presented by Minister Suharso Monoarfa -- recognizes philanthropic organizations that have implemented sustainability principles and standards and/or support the achievement of sustainable development goal (SDG) targets in the organization's business model.

The award recognized the foundation’s Bakti Pangan Lestari program for its educational approach to helping smallholder farmers and their families build climate resilience and food security. 

According to its press release, the foundation’s Bakti Pangan Lestari program coordinated immediate action and long-term initiatives over five years to help smallholder farmers and the next generation of farmers build climate resilience and food security. To improve the immediate livelihoods of smallholder farmers, the foundation launched a series of skills-based, intensive training courses and provided assistance to strengthen food security. This aims to teach precision farming techniques that empower farmers, support innovations for climate adaptation, and give farmers access to resources they need to strengthen their food systems.

To build long-term initiatives, the program created an integrated agricultural business curriculum -- translated as Usaha Pertanian Terpadu (UPT)-- to equip teachers and students with the knowledge and skills they need to adapt to climate change and tackle future challenges such as limited land and freshwater due to the growing population, using integrated farming (aka permaculture). The Education Ministry has approved this integrated agricultural business curriculum.

Partners involved in the Bakti Pangan Lestari program driving progress toward SDG 2 (zero hunger) include The Learning Farm, Joglo Tani, Bandung Institute of Technology School of Life Sciences and Technology, and Consortium of Businesses of the Republic of Indonesia Concerned with Vocational Education.

“The younger generation is the future of our food systems, but they don’t have equal access to education and resources they need to build resilience against climate change,” Dian A Purbasari, Director of Bakti Barito Foundation, was quoted as saying in a recent press statement. 

“As our population continues to grow, following limited land and limited access to fresh water, we need to ensure that young people are climate-ready. With the right knowledge and support, our next generation can build regional food systems that are more sustainable, healthier, and build a prosperous future for the communities across the country,” Dian said.