Yogyakarta, May 26, 2024 – The Community Service Team of the Independent Learning – Independent Campus (PkM MBKM) Faculty of Biology 2024, has implemented the first program in a series of PkM-MBKM activities at the Melati Women’s Farming Group in Madurejo Village.
The program was led by Prof. Dr. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr. Sc., with the title “Strengthening Economic Independence by Introducing Digital Marketing and Socializing Trade Licensing for Pumpkin Flour Products of the Melati Women’s Farming Group (KWT) in Madurejo, Prambanan,” which included five students from the Faculty of Biology, namely Haris Dwi Nugroho, Laksita Chesarina, and Ihsanti Dwi Nugroho. This first program focused on Socialization of the program activities and Introduction to PIRT, Hygiene Standards, Halal Products, and the Importance of Attractive Packaging. The program took place on Sunday, May 26, 2024, from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM at the house of Mrs. Romli, a member of the Melati Women’s Farming Group in Madurejo Village, Prambanan, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta. The event began with games and door prizes to boost participants’ happiness and enable them to focus on socialization. Next, participants completed a pretest.
The first presentation was given by Dian Sartika, S.Si., M.Sc. She explained the importance of strategies for creating products on a micro-enterprise scale, including utilizing resources through processes of processing, production, packaging, and good product marketing. This presentation also covered the significance of PIRT (Home Industry Products), hygiene standards, halal products, and the differences in regulations and processes involved. She hopes that the difficulties faced by the community can be resolved through this program. This opportunity is expected to promote self-sustaining economic growth within the community for the future.
The second presentation was given by Prof. Budi Setiadi Daryono, M.Agr. Sc. He expressed his happiness and appreciation for the enthusiasm of the KWT Melati towards this community service program. He explained that this program is a continuation of a previous program related to the development of pumpkin cultivation, from planting to harvesting, processing the harvested pumpkins into flour, and pre-marketing. This is done to ensure that the products produced are of good quality in terms of aesthetics, safety, and durability, with the hope that these products can be introduced to the community starting with small-scale marketing at Jasmine Corner in the Faculty of Biology UGM. Prof. Budi emphasized that the process is not instant and may not always go as planned, but the persistence and determination of KWT Melati will lead to economic independence. The event concluded with a group photo.
This program is also expected to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specially point 1 (no poverty), point 2 (zero hunger), point 4 (gender equality), point 8 (decent work and economic growth), point 10 (reduced inequalities), and point 12 (responsible consumption and production). Additionally, this activity contributes to achieving IKU 2 (MBKM off-campus) and IKU 3 (lecturers off-campus) for the Faculty of Biology UGM.
It is hoped that this socialization will provide insight to KWT Melati members through discussions, enhance cooperation, and contribute to sustainable economic development that benefits everyone.
The discussions held during the FGD and field visits covered various topics, including the use of technology in agriculture, organic farming practices, natural resource management, and marketing strategies for agricultural products. The results of these discussions will form the basis for developing more relevant and responsive educational, research, and community service programs tailored to the needs of millennial farmers.
and millennial farmers, bringing tangible positive impacts to the advancement of the agricultural sector in Indonesia. This activity is closely related to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. The dialogue and collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and millennial farmers can increase farmers’ productivity and income (SDG 1: No Poverty) and support sustainable agriculture that enhances food security and nutrition (SDG 2: Zero Hunger). This initiative also develops more relevant educational programs for millennial farmers (SDG 4: Quality Education), supports economic growth and job creation in the agricultural sector (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth), and encourages innovation and modernization of agricultural practices (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). The focus on organic farming practices and natural resource management supports sustainable production and consumption (SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production), and the sustainable agriculture discussed in the FGD contributes to climate change mitigation (SDG 13: Climate Action). Furthermore, the collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and millennial farmers is a concrete example of partnerships that support the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals).