ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Young innovators from across Indonesia gathered today at the Youth Innovation Challenge 2025 in Jakarta to present impact-driven innovations to accelerate the country’s agrifood systems transformation.
The competition was organized by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and youth-driven organizations Pijar Foundation and World Food Forum Indonesian chapter.
A total of 12 early-stage start-ups and six policy papers were shortlisted from over 230 submissions under the theme of ‘Circular Economy for A Sustainable Future’. These innovations cover a wide range of areas, from ensuring integrated and sustainable agrifood systems, improving inclusive access to capital, empowering farmers with applicable technologies, and helping Indonesia reduce its food loss and waste.
“The innovations are proof that Indonesian youths can respond to global challenges with impactful and smart local solutions. The Youth Innovation Challenge is a starting line for young people’s bigger service to Indonesia, and a momentum for us to strengthen collaboration to support young people’s innovations,” said Esa Sukmawijaya Deputy Assistant for Global Youth Development of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, November 8, 2025.
Youth Innovation Challenge provided participating youths with mentorship and training that offered them with practical insights and personalized guidance to strengthen their business strategies, scalability and impact, as well as networking opportunities with industry experts and investors.
Their aspirations were also voiced directly to government representatives from the Coordinating Ministry of Food Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, and Ministry of Youth and Sports through a policy dialogue.
“FAO recognizes the persistent challenge facing young people: while young innovators across the country brim with ideas, there are only few platforms connecting them to nationwide opportunities and policy influence. Youth Innovation Challenge was created to bridge this gap, helping transform early-stage ideas into scalable solutions for communities in need,” FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor-Leste Rajendra Aryal said.
In Indonesia, farmers are ageing with about 80% of them being 40 years and older according to 2023 Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data. Meanwhile, half of Indonesia’s unemployed are young people aged 15-29 years old.
“The challenge is global. FAO’s 2025 report ‘The Status of Youth in Agrifood Systems’ reveals that over 20 percent of youth are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). Bridging the employment gap for youth in agriculture could increase the global economy by 1.4 percent, equal to 1.5 trillion US dollars,” Rajendra added.
Youth Innovation Challenge awarded a total prize of Rp84 million (USD 5,034) to 10 young innovators. In the seed start-up category, winners included IJO, with its innovative seaweed-based biostimulants for rice and horticultural crops; Arconesia, which provides a digital platform to help smallholder farmers implement climate-friendly intercropping in oil palm plantations; and BECAK BABEL, which combines coal-fired power plant waste with organic agricultural waste and food scraps to produce organic fertilizer and cultivates maggots to decompose waste.
Winners in the seed start-up category included MySalak, which presents an IoT and AI-based solution for controlling fruit flies in snake fruit plantations; Humatera, which develops vertical farming with composters and automatic irrigation, transforming kitchen waste into a food source for families in constrained urban areas; and Dyenco, which focuses on processing cocoa husk waste into high-value, environmentally friendly products for the textile dye and clothing industries.
Meanwhile, in the policy paper competition, winners included Rifaldi Majid who designed a sustainable, inclusive financing model based on waqf (inalienable religious endowment in Islam) for small-scale farmers; Husein Muhammad who proposed circular food governance through the free nutritious meal (MBG) program; and Farah Mutia Rachman with a proposed food audit policy and sensory mapping for the effectiveness of the MBG program.
”Youth Innovation Challenge is not just a competition; it is a beginning of a collective movement. A movement that unites the government, international organizations, academics, the private sector, and the young generation, to ensure that these innovative ideas by youths will be implemented, developed, integrated into policies and real actions,” said Pijar Foundation Executive Director Cazadira F. Tamzil.
“We believe that with platforms like Youth Innovation Challenge and strong support from all actors, especially the government and private sectors, the young generation has a significant potential to realize resilient agrifood systems with our innovations and solutions,” World Food Forum Indonesia chapter director Clara Citra Arundati said. (AT Network)
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