Students from Universitas Brawijaya (UB), through their startup Capunglam Agrinovasi Indonesia, collaborated with the People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP) of Malang City to hold a workshop on waste processing and integrated farming to support MSME food security during crises (01/03).

The workshop took place at Capunglam Farm in Singosari and involved 10 MSMEs that are part of the KRKP mentoring program.

The initiative aimed to introduce sustainable food practices while strengthening community-level food resilience.

Capunglam Promotes Green Entrepreneurship for Future Food Challenges

Capunglam founder and team leader Cahyo Ilham Firmansyah Subagio, a fast-track master’s student at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Brawijaya, said the activity promotes green entrepreneurship and community food security amid global uncertainty.

He explained that addressing future economic and food crises requires participation from multiple sectors, including young people.

“As a student and entrepreneur in the field of green entrepreneurship, I see that the challenges of the future economic and food crises are not solely the government’s responsibility. The younger generation, especially students, need to be involved and be part of the solution through innovation in the food sector,” he said.

He added that the program encourages sustainable food business models that can be applied at the household and community levels.

Workshop Introduces Integrated Farming and Waste Processing

During the workshop, participants received an explanation of integrated farming concepts and organic waste management as part of a circular economy system.

The session highlighted how household and business waste can be recycled into feed or fertilizer to create a more efficient and sustainable food production cycle.

Participants also joined a guided tour of Capunglam Farm to observe the integrated farming system directly.

The tour introduced an interconnected production cycle involving catfish and chicken farming, maggot-based organic waste processing, and vegetable cultivation such as chilies and mustard greens.

Community-Based Food Security is Important for Malang

Reza from the People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty said strengthening community-based food security is important for Malang because the city still depends on food supplies from surrounding areas.

“Malang City is quite dependent on food supplies from surrounding areas. When distribution disruptions or crises occur, low-income households and small-scale MSMEs will be most vulnerable. Therefore, strengthening community-based food security is crucial,” he explained.

He also said high levels of food waste in the city highlight the need for better waste management.

“Food waste in Malang City can reach hundreds of tons per day, and much of it is not properly processed. Through approaches such as maggots and eco-enzymes, this waste can actually have economic value while reducing environmental impact,” he added.

MSME Participants Receive Magobox Starter Kits

At the end of the workshop, Capunglam distributed Magobox starter kits to the 10 participating MSMEs.

The kits are simple organic waste processing tools based on maggot cultivation and serve as an initial step for implementing waste management systems in business environments.

The workshop continued the Green Entrepreneurship Bootcamp program previously organized by the People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty for MSMEs in Malang City.

Capunglam was one of the pilot startups supported in the program and shared best practices on sustainable food businesses based on waste management and integrated farming systems.

One participant, Farida, owner of Getas Lumer Malang MSME, said the workshop provided new insights for small business owners.

“Thank you to KRKP and Capunglam. From this activity, we learned that running a business is not just about production and sales, but also about how our business impacts the environment. We learned how to take from nature and return it with greater benefits,” she said.

Capunglam Agrinovasi Indonesia is a social enterprise initiated by students from Universitas Brawijaya that focuses on sustainable agriculture, green entrepreneurship, and circular economy practices through organic waste management and integrated farming systems.

The People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty, established in 2003, promotes food sovereignty by encouraging food systems based on local resources and strengthening the role of communities in sustainable food development.

PHOTO: UB

This article was created with AI assistance.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our content, some information may be incorrect or outdated. Please let us know of any corrections at [email protected].