Nofalia is currently an active researcher at AKATIGA (Centre for Social Analysis), a research-based NGO located in Bandung city. She is taking part in policy advocacy research whose current concern is enabling a fair-inclusive village land access for marginalized groups, including youth, poor farmers, and female-headed family in Kebumen, Central Java. Nofalia, who was graduated from Master of Arts in Development Studies, International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) The Hague, understood that the current agricultural issues are not sufficiently addressed, as it is too concerned on increasing its productivity, while many people remained in hunger and suffered in poverty.
“I studied soil microbiology during my bachelor. At that time, I used to think that food security and food sovereignty will be achieved through increasing the agricultural productivity, as what the government kept on claiming. But many Indonesians are still in hunger, food scarcity in some areas due to uneven distribution, the food price raises day by day make it less affordable for the poor. The worst we become too dependent on imports while we have abundant natural resources. Luckily, the taught from my master study at ISS had a huge impact on transforming my perspective. Agriculture should be understood from multiple approaches, including economic, politics, social and especially to which highly considering the welfare of farmers, farm laborers and engaging many more young generations to work and developing the agricultural sector. Not to mention, the goal of such a just-agricultural system means providing a fair and inclusive access to healthy food, and agricultural means of production to the poor, both in rural of urban area.”
