A team of students participating in the Universitas Gadjah Mada Community Service Program (KKN-PPM UGM) has introduced integrated agricultural innovations to strengthen community food security in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan. During nearly 40 days of the 2026 Period II KKN-PPM program, the Samasta Kukar Team developed and implemented a variety of appropriate technologies through Integrated Farming Areas in Sumber Sari Village and Karang Tunggal Village. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector while promoting sustainable food management based on local potential.
A member of the KKN-PPM UGM Samasta Kukar Team, Aisyah Ghulam Alwutsqo, said that developing Integrated Farming Areas is one strategy to strengthen community food security through technologies tailored to local village needs. The Samasta Kukar Team marks UGM’s return to community service activities in Kutai Kartanegara after more than a decade. Throughout the program, 30 students carried out more than 100 activities spanning sociocultural development, education, health, agriculture, and technological innovation.
“We hope the innovations we have developed will continue to be utilized and further improved by the community even after the KKN program concludes, thereby supporting long-term food security in the villages,” she said on Thursday (Jul. 30).
The innovations introduced include water-efficient irrigation systems using sprinklers and drip irrigation, the integration of aquaculture and agriculture through a solar-powered aquaponics system, and an integrated farming model that combines maggot cultivation with laying hen production.
These innovations have been implemented within the Integrated Farming Areas as a model for more efficient and sustainable agricultural management. Through the application of appropriate technology, the students hope local communities can increase agricultural productivity while making better use of available village resources.
In implementing the program, the Samasta Kukar Team also collaborated with the Kutai Kartanegara Food Security Agency to strengthen its long-term sustainability. The Head of the Kutai Kartanegara Food Security Agency, Ananias, praised the students’ innovations and expressed hope that the community would continue to benefit from them.
“We hope these innovations can be shared with the community so they can continue to support local agriculture,” he said.
To conclude the community service program, the Samasta Kukar Team will organize Pesta Rakyat, a festival celebrating local culture and community participation, in Sumber Sari Village and Karang Tunggal Village on Aug. 1–2, 2026.
The event will showcase the KKN program’s outcomes through guided tours of the Integrated Farming Areas, an innovation exhibition, free health screenings, a subsidized market, an MSME exhibition, a community fun walk, and group exercise sessions involving local residents. Pesta Rakyat is expected to serve as a platform for sharing innovations, strengthening mutual cooperation, and promoting the villages’ local potential to a wider audience.
Reporter: Samasta Kukar KKN-PPM UGM Team
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-Editor: Priyanandaningrat