Support for on-the-job training project for Indonesian agricultural students!

e will accept three on-the-job trainees from IPB ( Bogor Agricultural University) for three months from January 2022 at our farmland in West Java, Indonesia.

The theme of the training will be "Business Possibilities in the Agricultural Business.

We are seeking to raise funds for the operation of the project to pass on the agricultural business we have built up to date to the young people who will be responsible for Indonesian agriculture in the future.

Planned training site (West Java, Indonesia)

Social issues to be solved

-Improvement of management soundness in agricultural business

We have been growing safe and nutritious vegetables without pesticides and fertilizers, and selling them under the brand name "Yaopagi°" in supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels in the Jakarta metropolitan area.

By providing hands-on training in these business activities, we will present an opportunity to improve the lives of people involved in the agricultural business.

Our vegetable corner in a supermarket in Jakarta (permission granted for photography)

yaoopagi.net

Vulnerable Farmers

The position of farmers in agricultural production in Indonesia is very weak, and the number of young people taking up farming is decreasing because they cannot earn enough income.

The usual purchase price of vegetables from farmers in traditional markets is about ＄0.35 per kilogram, which is not enough to earn the income needed to live a healthy life.

Indonesia is now the world's fourth-largest country in terms of population and is a rapidly growing country with a young generation (average age: 28 years old). However, there is a huge gap between the urban areas and the rural areas, and there are no jobs in the rural areas that provide sufficient income.

The table shows the total population, agricultural population, and their percentages comparing 2009 and 2018. Over the past eight years, the agricultural population has decreased by 9.55 million people, and its share of the total population has also declined by 3% (Table prepared by Nishimura).

How and why did you come to confront the issue?

In 1995, I established PT Bina Desa in Indonesia and started business in a rural area about 200 kilometers from the capital. I spent my days experiencing firsthand the life of a rural area.

In 2003, I was involved in the establishment of a restaurant in Jakarta, and I began to think more deeply about food, especially vegetables.

In 2012, I decided to get involved in agriculture in earnest and started trial cultivation.

Growing buckwheat noodles(soba) on the Central Java Plateau (2013)

Vegetables labeled as organically grown or pesticide-free never arrive at the wholesale market in Indonesia. Vegetables are usually sold at a discount based on weight alone, and quality is always a secondary consideration.

We have been selling high-quality vegetables that are naturally grown without pesticides and fertilizers and are competitive without being affected by market prices. We would like to pass on such experience to the younger generation in this country.

What you hope to achieve with this project

-Specific activities

The participants will be able to experience all aspects of our business, from vegetable cultivation to sales.

-Changes we hope to achieve through this project

We would like the students to understand that by growing and selling safe and nutritious vegetables, we can change the lives of the people involved in the agricultural business for the better, and we hope that this will encourage them to think about farming in the future. We plan to conduct this training program every year in the future.

How the funds will be used?

Equipment costs: approx. 180,000 yen

Personnel expenses: approx. 160,000 yen

Utility costs: approx. 30,000 yen

Crowdfunding fee: approx. 30,000 yen (7%)

Total 400,000 yen

*This project is a non-profit project. The school will bear the cost of accommodation for the students participating in the training, but there will be no budget for the receiving side. We are asking for the above amount to cover the cost of hosting the students.

Implementation Schedule

January 24: Acceptance of trainees

Early March Interim presentation of training results

Late April: Graduation ceremony

Late April 202: Return shipment

Our Team

Akira Nishimura (Project Leader)

Staff in charge

Silmi Zafira (Operations Manager)

Samuel Alexander Hutapea (Farmland)

Yoel (Logistics)