Bogor, Indonesia — 4 August 2026 — The Research Center for Ecology at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) will hold its 10th "Jamming Session" webinar on Thursday, 6 August 2026. The virtual event, titled "Local Food: A Resolution for Equitable and Sustainable Food Security," aims to explore the strategic role of Indonesia's local food resources in building a more resilient, fair, and sustainable national food system.
The webinar will bring together leading researchers, practitioners, and community advocates to address the critical issue of food dependency in Indonesia. While national production of staple commodities like rice and corn has increased, the vast potential of local food sources—deeply rooted in traditional ecological knowledge—is often overlooked in policy, research, and markets. This event seeks to rebalance the discourse and offer concrete solutions grounded in local wisdom and scientific evidence.
The session features three distinguished speakers, each offering a unique perspective:
- Prof. Dr. Wawan Sujarwo, Coordinator of the Local and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Research Group at BRIN and Executive Director of the Ethnobiological Society of Indonesian (PMEI), will present foundational data on the potential of local food from an ethnobotanical and scientific perspective.
- Ir. Haryanti Koostanto, a community development practitioner with extensive experience in food systems and value chains, will provide a critical yet constructive reflection on national food policies, as well as the challenges and opportunities for integrating local foods.
- Britania Sari, a grassroots food security activist and founder of Kebun Atqiya, will share inspiring, real-world examples of community-based food security initiatives that start from home gardens and extend to local health centers (Posyandu).
The discussion will be moderated by Drs. Bugi Kabul Sumirat, M.Phil., a senior researcher at BRIN.
This event is timely and aligns with national efforts to strengthen food sovereignty. By showcasing scientific evidence and community-led successes, the Jamming Session aims to generate collaborative recommendations for policymakers, academics, and practitioners to create a more inclusive and sustainable food system.
The webinar is also supported in its dissemination by the Ethnobiological Society of Indonesian (PMEI), whose members include many researchers from BRIN. PMEI is helping to promote the event to a wider audience of ethnobiology enthusiasts, academics, and local communities across Indonesia.
Event Details:
- Webinar: Jamming Session #10 – "Local Food: A Resolution for Equitable and Sustainable Food Security"
- Date & Time: Thursday, 6 August 2026, at 09:00 – 12:00 WIB (Western Indonesia Time)
- Platform: Virtual (Zoom Meeting) with live streaming on the BRIN Ecology Research Center's YouTube channel.
- Access Link: linktr.ee/JammingSession_PRE
- Meeting ID: 932 2489 9855
- Passcode: 232189
The event is free and open to the public. It is targeted toward researchers, academics, students, community representatives, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of food security, ecology, and traditional knowledge.