The Master’s Program in Agribusiness and the Doctoral Program in Agricultural Sciences at the Universitas Medan Area Graduate School successfully held a National Webinar titled “The Role and Potential of Agribusiness in Ensuring Food Security and Safety Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic” on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, from 9:00 to 11:30 AM WIB. The event featured three speakers: Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, S.P, M.Si (Rector of Bogor Agricultural University), Dr. Ir. R. Sabrina, M.Si (Secretary of North Sumatra Province), and Dr. Ir. Ageng Setiawan Herianto, M.Sc (Assistant FAO Representative for Indonesia, Programme).
This National Webinar was attended by over 1,000 participants from various regions across Indonesia, joining via Zoom and live streaming on the Universitas Medan Area Channel. The event brought together attendees from all corners of the country, from Sabang to Merauke.
Before the webinar commenced, the Graduate School Director, Prof. Dr. Ir. Hj. Retna Astuti K., MS., gave an opening speech, outlining the background and objectives of the webinar and introducing the graduate programs available at Universitas Medan Area. She extended her gratitude to the Haji Agus Salim Education Foundation, the Universitas Medan Area, the organizing team, the IT department, P2TI, and the enthusiastic participants. Prof. Dr. Ir. Hj. Retna Astuti K., MS., also mentioned future plans to hold both national and international webinars.
Following this, the Rector of Universitas Medan Area, Prof. Dadan Ramdan, M.Eng, M.Sc., shared updates on previous and upcoming webinars hosted by UMA during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prof. Dadan emphasized the importance of food security, which involves the availability and accessibility of food. He highlighted that during the pandemic, strategies for farmers, MSMEs, and industry players could include utilizing information technology and marketplaces to manage and distribute products effectively, which has proven beneficial for businesses.
The first speaker, Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, S.P, M.Si, discussed “IPB’s Readiness in Supporting Food Availability During the Covid-19 Pandemic through Agribusiness Development.”
The second speaker, Dr. Ir. R. Sabrina, M.Si, presented on “Provincial Policies for Agribusiness Development to Ensure Food Security in North Sumatra During the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
Lastly, Dr. Ir. Ageng Setiawan Herianto, M.Sc., offered insights from FAO’s perspective on efforts to maintain food security in Indonesia amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Materials from the webinar “The Role and Potential of Agribusiness in Ensuring Food Security Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic” can be downloaded at https://doktor.pertanian.uma.ac.id/arsip/.
