Opening Space for Youth Voices on Farmer Regeneration and Food Futures

Flashing back to October 2025, Tay Juhana Foundation (TJF) marked World Food Day by organizing a youth essay competition that centered on farmer regeneration and the future of food in Indonesia. Carried under the global theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” the competition opened a space for young people to engage with the realities shaping our food system and pour their ideas and reflections.

Through a careful curation process, carried out in collaboration with a practitioner from Koalisi Rakyat untuk Kedaulatan Pangan (KRKP), Wahyu Ridwan Nanta, and a lecturer from Institut Teknologi Sumatra (ITERA), Dr. Elsa Windiastuti, S.TP., M.Si., TJF selected eight essays that stood out for their relevance, depth, and clarity of perspective. These essays are brought together in this book as a collective reflection of how young Indonesians are thinking about farmer regeneration, food resilience, and the shared responsibility of sustaining our food future. Beyond bringing these essays together, this book is launched as an effort to raise awareness among young people about sustainable agriculture and food security, issues that remain closely tied to the long-term challenge of farmer regeneration in Indonesia.

The essay book features a lead piece by Ni Luh Gede Gauri Vimala Kaushtubhasai, followed by writings from Cindy Purnama Fitri, Rafania Naura Nasywa, Feri Dwi Putra Suhartono, SP., Refandhy Tri Wijaksono, Calvin Triyoga Nugraha, Sekar Larasati, and finally Alivia Saraswati Kadzan.

Read the full book here to dive deeper into the fresh ideas and reflections. For more chances to take part in ongoing conversations and initiatives around Indonesia’s food future, follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.