Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), through the Faculty of Agriculture, organized an international conference entitled “The 4th International Conference on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in the Topics (IC-FSSAT)” with the theme “Smallholder-Scale Smart Agriculture: A Solution Towards Global Efforts to Reduce Environmental Footprint and Create Resilient Food Security”. Approximately 300 participants from several countries attended the event for two days, February 15–16, 2023.
The distinguished speakers for the conference were Dr. Tony Liwang (Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP-KS), Indonesia), Prof. Siti Kusujiarti (Warren Wilson College, USA), Prof. Bunyamin Tar’an (University of Saskatchewan, Canada), Dr. Thong Nguyen-Huy (The University of Southern Queensland, Australia) and Dr. Anwar Syed H. Rizvi (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USA).
The Rector of UNHAS, Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. or Prof. JJ, renowned for his nickname, officially opened the conference. In his opening remarks, Prof. JJ expressed his appreciation for implementing the international conference. He said that nowadays, food security is one of the most urgent and crucial issues confronting the world. The COVID-19 pandemic and the tragedy of the Ukraine war have exposed the fragility of the food system and the need for resilience and adaptability. In addition, population growth and climate change factors that create significant risks to food production, availability, and access are also things that must be considered together. According to Prof. JJ, rapid action is needed to build a more resilient and sustainable food system.
Kumara Tungga Dewa, S.S.
