Agribusiness Role Webinar in Ensuring Food Security in the Middle of the COVID Outbreak 19

The Master of Agribusiness and the Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Postgraduate Program of the University of Medan Area successfully held a National Webinar “The Role and Potential of Agribusiness in Ensuring Food Security and Safety in the Middle of the Covid-19 Outbreak” On Tuesday 9 June 2020 at 09.00 to 11.30 WIB. With 3 speakers, Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, S.P, M.Sc. (Rector of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture), Dr. Ir. R. Sabrina, M.Si (Secretary of North Sumatra Province) and Dr. Ir. Ageng Setiawan Herianto, M.Sc (Assistant FAO Representative Indonesia (Program)).

This National Webinar was followed by a total of more than 1000 participants both joining through the Zoom application and Live Streaming through the University of Medan Area Channel. The webinar participants came from various regions throughout Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke.

Before the webinar was started, the Postgraduate Director Prof. Dr. Ir. Hj. Retna Astuti K., MS. Delivering an introduction in the form of the background of this webinar is carried out and introducing the Study Program found at the Postgraduate University of Medan Area. In the foreword also the Director of the Postgraduate Prof. Dr. Ir. Hj. Retna Astuti K., MS. thanked Haji Agus Salim Education Foundation, Medan Area University, and the Team namely the Committee, IT, and P2TI who supported the webinar and thanked the participants who were very enthusiastic in participating in this webinar. In the future, the Postgraduate University of Medan Area will hold another national and international webinar.

Furthermore, it was continued by the Rector of the Medan Area University Prof. Dadan Ramdan, M.Eng, M.Sc delivered several webinars that had been completed and that would be carried out in the future by the Medan Area University during the co-19 epidemic, then Prof. Dadan Ramdan, M.Eng, M.Sc explained “food security is the availability of food and one’s ability to access it. A household is said to have food security if its occupants are not in a state of starvation or haunted by the threat of starvation. Food security is very important, especially related to food production preparation and distribution. The strategy that can be carried out for farmers, MSMEs, and industry players to survive in the condition of the co-19 epidemic is to utilize information systems and technology as the management of products marketing facilities and infrastructure, for example, the marketplace. The use of the marketplace has proven to be going well and is very beneficial for businesses “.

The first guest speaker was Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, S.P, M.Sc (Bogor Agricultural University Rector) conveyed the theme of IPB Readiness in Helping Maintaining Food Availability during the Covid-19 Pandemic through Agribusiness Development.

Then proceed with the second guest speaker, Dr. Ir. R. Sabrina, M.Si (Secretary of North Sumatra Province) conveyed the theme of the North Sumatra Provincial Policy for Agribusiness Development in Guaranteeing Food Security during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

And the last speaker, Dr. Ir. Ageng Setiawan Herianto, M.Sc (Assistant FAO Representative Indonesia (Program)) delivered the theme of the FAO Perspective on Efforts to Maintain Food Security in Indonesia amid the COVID Outbreak -19.

Resource material on the webinar “The Role and Potential of Agribusiness in Ensuring Food Security and Safety Amid the COVID 19 Outbreak” can be downloaded at https://doktor.pertanian.uma.ac.id/arsip/

Webinar documentation on Youtube of Medan University Area https://youtu.be/LIwWsNmtPmw

INDONESIAN VERSION