Academic Calls for Climate-Adaptive Food Self-Sustainability Innovation

RRI.CO.ID, Bogor - Director of the International Research Institute for Environment and Climate Change at IPB University Bogor, Prof. Rizaldi Boer, emphasized the importance of agricultural innovations that are more tolerant of environmental stress in responding to climate change. He outlined several examples of innovations, including IPB 9 Garuda, a rice variety from IPB University that he claims is one of the most impactful low-cost agricultural innovations they have ever developed.

"From our research test, this variety actually has a 10 to 20% high yield and reaches about 11 tons per hectare, while now the average yield is only six tons per hectare. So it's almost double," Rizaldi said in a VOI Talk interview broadcast by RRI Voice of Indonesia on Thursday, 22 January 2026.

"But at the same time, (it) also needs less water, which requires only 20% less than the normal varieties, and also reduces the use of fertilizer," he continued.

IPB University is a well-known public university specializing in agriculture. Established in 1963, it is regarded as one of the most innovative universities in the country.

Director of the International Research Institute for Environment and Climate Change at IPB University Bogor, Prof. Rizaldi Boer, in a VOI Talk interview broadcast by RRI Voice of Indonesia on Thursday, 22 January 2026. (Photo:RRI Voice of Indonesia)

Rizaldi said he proposed other innovations to address climate change, such as food crop varieties tolerant of high soil salinity and enriched biochar to recover damaged soil. He also said that farmers should be encouraged to make use of climate information services, as the innovation to provide them is currently being developed.

"We introduced in one of the villages the use of an automatic weather station to monitor the local conditions, and also use that one to predict pest and disease outbreaks. And the farmers are happy because the village leader adopted and put (the information) on the website, and everyone can access it. They can also predict disease and pest threats for the crop, so the farmer can anticipate that," he said.

Regardless of which innovations are adopted, Rizaldi stressed the importance of collaboration among decision-makers, the scientific community, and farmers to build a strong food system, particularly in Indonesia. He views strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration as the most critical strategic step for it.

"I think only through the integrated approach, combining policy support, scientific innovation, and the farmers' level capacity building, Indonesia can build a resilient food system that's capable of withstanding climate change while maintaining long-term productivity and sustainability," he said.

Food security is one of the priority areas of the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Several measures have been taken to build food security in the country, ranging from the construction of rice fields to the development of fishing villages.