Academic Forum on Food Estate in Merauke
Musamus University, in collaboration with Sophia Nusantara, held an event titled “Academic Forum: Mapping of Studies and Preliminary Research Findings on Food Estate” at the PKM Building of Musamus University, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Participants in this event came from various backgrounds, including academics, NGOs, students, and journalists. According to Yosehi Mekiuw, Vice Rector III of Musamus University, the event was a collaborative effort to raise environmental awareness in Merauke Regency. The Food Estate program, one of the Indonesian government's National Strategic Projects (PSN), was the main focus of the forum's discussion.
During the forum, Maria Widiastuti, representing the academic community as one of the speakers, stated that the rate of population growth is outpacing food production due to several factors such as climate change, land-use conversion, global food chains, and others.
Meanwhile, Mama Yashinta Moiwend, speaking on behalf of communities affected by the PSN, noted that local residents had not been properly informed about the project. She emphasized that no public outreach or socialization was conducted even up to May, by which time the project was already underway. Yashinta reported that approximately 500,000 hectares of land had already been cleared for the food estate program, extending into the Okaba district.
According to Yashinta, the PSN program does not align with the food needs of the Papuan people, as it promotes crops that are not part of the region’s traditional diet. “We Papuans do not know rice; we have always known only tubers,” she said.
Forum Akademisi tentang Food Estate di Merauke
Universitas Musamus bersama Sophia Nusantara melaksanakan kegiatan “Forum Akademisi: Pemetaan Kajian dan Temuan Awal Riset Food Estate” di Gedung PKM Universitas Musamus, Kabupaten Merauke Provinsi Papua Selatan pada hari Rabu 14 Mei 2025.
Peserta yang hadir dalam acara ini berasal dari berbagai unsur seperti akademisi, LSM, mahasiswa, dan jurnalis. Menurut Yosehi Mekiuw, Wakil Rektor III Universitas Musamus, acara ini merupakan kolaborasi untuk kepedulian terhadap lingkungan di Kabupaten Merauke. Food Estate yang merupakan salah satu Program Strategis Nasional (PSN) pemerintah Indonesia menjadi poin utama pembahasan forum ini.
Dalam kegiatan itu, Maria Widiastuti selaku narasumber dari unsur akademisi menyampaikan bahwa laju pertumbuhan angka penduduk lebih cepat dibandingkan produksi pangan karena faktor perubahan iklim, alih fungsi luas lahan, rantai pangan global, dan banyak faktor lain.
Sedangkan Mama Yashinta Moiwend, selaku narasumber dari unsur masyarakat terdampak PSN, mengatakan bahwa masyarakat tidak mendapat sosialisasi mengenai proyek tersebut. Bahkan sosialisasi tidak disampaikan hingga Mei, saat proyek sudah berjalan. Yashinta menyampaikan bahwa luas lahan yang dibabat untuk program food estate sudah mencapai kira-kira 500 ribu hektar, telah mencapai wilayah distrik Okaba.
Menurut Yashinta, program PSN tidak cocok dengan kebutuhan pangan orang Papua. Karena proyek tersebut menanam tanaman yang bukan merupakan tanaman pangan lokal Papua. "Kami orang Papua tidak tahu padi, kami dari dulu cuma tahu umbi-umbian," katanya.
