ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA — Amid growing concerns over Indonesia’s aging farming population, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) have launched the Petani Keren (“Cool Farmers”) program to foster a new generation of young, innovative, and sustainable farmers.
The initiative aims to rejuvenate the agricultural sector by equipping young Indonesians with modern agribusiness skills and entrepreneurial capacity — ensuring the country’s food security and rural resilience for years to come.
According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) 2023, nearly 80 percent of Indonesian farmers are over 40 years old. While agriculture remains the country’s largest employment sector — engaging around 40 million people or 30 percent of the total workforce — almost half of Indonesia’s unemployed population are youth aged 15 to 29.
Through Petani Keren, 100 young Indonesians from various regions joined a comprehensive training program in Jakarta and Lampung between 2024 and 2025. Participants learned about innovative farming systems, entrepreneurship, and sustainable agriculture designed to address climate change and strengthen food security.
“Young people must become leaders in shaping Indonesia’s food future — not merely objects, but active subjects in policy-making,” said Yohan, Deputy for Youth Services, Kemenpora, October 13, 2025.
Yohan emphasized that the ministry will continue collaborating with FAO and other strategic partners to ensure the program’s sustainability and integration into broader national entrepreneurship and youth initiatives.
FAO: Agriculture Is the Future for Young People
Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, described Petani Keren as a significant step toward attracting youth back to the agricultural sector — one rich with potential and innovation.
“Young people should seize every opportunity to engage in food system governance and bring their perspectives to the table, ensuring fair and sustainable food systems for all,” Aryal said.
A youth policy dialogue was also held with representatives from the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, and Kemenpora, giving young participants a platform to share ideas and influence agricultural transformation in Indonesia.
The Petani Keren curriculum is tailored to youth-friendly learning styles and covers a wide range of topics, including:
Mapping local agricultural biodiversity and market demand
Applying smart farming and digital tools
Practicing eco-friendly and permaculture-based farming
Developing value-added products from agricultural outputs
Building independent, sustainable agribusiness ventures
“I hope Petani Keren becomes a starting point to connect young innovators and stakeholders across Indonesia — turning solutions and ideas into real action,” said Shabrina Nur Ain (23), one of the participants.
Background: Building a Generation of Smart Farmers
The Petani Keren initiative was first proposed by Indonesia’s delegation, led by then Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko, during the World Food Forum (WFF) 2023 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. During the bilateral meeting, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu expressed his strong support for Indonesia’s youth-focused agricultural transformation.
The program is implemented under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) with support from the Indonesian government, Gerakan Pramuka (National Scout Movement), and the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI).
The pilot trainings were conducted as follows:
Jakarta (October 14 – December 20, 2024) – 38 participants
Lampung (June 17 – July 29, 2025) – 31 participants
Jakarta (September 16 – October 14, 2025) – 31 participants
The project has also developed innovative agricultural learning models that integrate digital technologies, greenhouse-based education, and semi-intensive sustainable farming methods, encouraging young people to adopt smart, eco-conscious, and profitable farming systems. (AT Network)
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