Unsri Develops "3-in-1" Optimization Solution to Address Land Scarcity

One solution to the problem of limited land is to make the best possible use of the available land.

A number of faculty members and students from the Faculty of Agriculture at Sriwijaya University (Unsri) in Palembang—who are currently pursuing master’s (S2) and doctoral (S3) programs, are working to develop initiatives that can optimize urban agriculture in the capital city of South Sumatra Province to improve community food security through a “three-in-one” approach on a single plot of land.

Unsri Faculty of Agriculture Professor Benyamin Lakitan stated that development in Palembang has resulted in increasingly limited land available for agricultural cultivation. Therefore, it is necessary to address this by developing activities that optimize the available land for urban farming.

The development of activities to optimize limited urban land for “urban farming”—currently being carried out in collaboration with students—involves conducting multiple activities on a single plot of land.

Initially, the limited backyard space was used for fish farming and the cultivation of various types of vegetables and medicinal plants.

Subsequently, the project was expanded by converting part of the land—which previously housed a fish pond—into a facility for farming catfish, tilapia, and betok fish, while the area above the pond is also used to grow vegetables, medicinal herbs, and chili peppers using floating raft technology made from used bottles and bamboo, materials that are readily available in residential areas.

This “urban farming” initiative is currently being developed as a three-tiered system (3-in-1), namely, the land with fish ponds is used for fish farming, while the space above is utilized for growing vegetables and chili peppers using floating raft technology and trellis frames, allowing for the cultivation of vegetables such as oyong and fruits like grapes and melons, which grow as vines.

Through the optimization of this urban agricultural land, it is hoped that even limited land areas can still produce food to the maximum extent possible to meet the daily needs of the community and even be sold to neighbors as a family side business.

Urban residents are encouraged to develop “3-in-1” farming practices in their backyards—even on limited space—by creating fish ponds and growing various types of vegetables and other useful plants.

“Through the development of urban agriculture, it is hoped that the community can reduce its dependence on food supplies from outside the region, the prices of which can spike under certain conditions,” said the former Secretary of the Ministry of Research and Technology.

Efforts to optimize land use for urban agriculture have garnered attention from various parties, including agricultural students from various regions and even from abroad.