Related to SDGs
Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) continues to strengthen its contribution to community food security through the development of an urban farming program in Bangkong, Sekaran Village, Gunungpati District, Semarang. The initiative, conducted in July 2026, aims to empower residents to utilize household yards productively for healthy and sustainable food production.
The community engagement program was designed as part of efforts to create a Food-Self-Sufficient Village while addressing urban challenges such as limited land availability, increasing food demand, and changing lifestyles. Urban farming is considered an effective solution for improving household food accessibility and sustainability.
The project leader, Prof. Dr. Nana Kariada Tri Martuti, M.Si., emphasized the importance of urban farming in strengthening local food resilience. “Utilizing residential yards through urban farming is one of the practical solutions to provide healthy, sustainable, and accessible food for communities,” she stated.
Beyond producing fresh and nutritious food, the program also provides economic and environmental benefits. It helps reduce household expenses, optimize limited land use, create greener living spaces, and encourage greater community self-reliance in fulfilling food needs.
The activity was conducted in collaboration with the Mandiri Farmer Group as a community partner. The service team consisted of multidisciplinary experts from FMIPA, FISIP, and the Faculty of Engineering at UNNES, working together to provide guidance and training on sustainable urban agriculture practices.
Through this program, UNNES hopes that communities will be able to maximize the potential of their home yards while building a stronger local food system. Urban farming is expected to become a model for sustainable community development that improves welfare and environmental quality.
This activity supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
