Astra Agro: Empowering Sustainable Business for the Future Generation of Indonesia and Championing Food Security
As we approach the year 2045, a significant moment awaits Indonesia: a century of independence! The Golden Generation of 2045 will commemorate this historic milestone, and achieving food self-sufficiency is a vital foundation for this vision. The government’s reaffirmed commitment to harnessing our natural resources, free from import reliance, fuels our collective dream.
In harmony with this grand vision, PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (Astra Agro) is taking decisive action. As a proud contributor to our nation, Astra Agro actively supports the 2025 food self-sufficiency program through various initiatives focused on staple crops like corn and rice.
While Astra Agro is often recognized as a palm oil company, it is making impactful strides by planting corn across its subsidiaries in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. This effort transcends business; it embodies Astra Agro’s dedication to “Prosper with the Nations,” or “Sejahtera Bersama Bangsa.” Their commitment to genuinely improving community welfare is unwavering.
Astra Agro embraces its extended family of employees and their loved ones, known as paguyuban. With 499 paguyuban spanning 8 provinces, they unite over 30,000 heads of families into a vibrant, independent community. Even prior to the corn initiative, these skilled community groups thrived in cultivating diverse plants.
For Astra Agro, community empowerment and food security pulse at the heart of every business endeavor, aligning perfectly with the government’s ambition of making Indonesia a global food barn by 2045.
The corn planting initiative marks a collaborative first step with local governments to enhance the production of essential food commodities. Corn is a powerhouse for food security and economic vitality, serving as a staple food and a primary ingredient in numerous processed foods, including animal feed. It ranks as the third highest value-added agricultural commodity, following rice and palm oil.
Following a successful simultaneous planting across 31 Astra Agro entities nationwide, the first corn harvest arrived almost simultaneously, from Aceh to Central Sulawesi.
Astra Agro’s commitment to food security extends beyond corn. They are also providing gogo rice seeds to farmer groups in Cianjur Regency, blending food needs with the preservation of ancestral cultural heritage. Gogo rice, a resilient crop, is vital for food self-sufficiency, especially for the Baduy community. Its ancient cultivation offers a more straightforward planting process without complex irrigation, thriving even in dry periods.
With the potential to yield up to 7 tons of dry grains per hectare and a quicker harvest, gogo rice can also be intercropped with other plants and is recognized as premium rice, beneficial for diabetics.
In Cianjur, gogo rice planting occurs in seven locations, including Kanoman Village, Cigea Village, and Cibokor Village, through a collaboration with the Directorate General of Estates of the Ministry of Agriculture. This partnership among Astra Agro, the government, and the Farmers’ Group Association (Gapoktan) represents a dedicated stride toward achieving food self-sufficiency.
Stay tuned as Astra Agro prepares for the first celebratory harvest of gogo rice alongside the community, ready to sow a legacy of sustainability and hope!
