Shifting The

emPOWERed Farmers
[Concept Note: SDGs Region in
Gorontalo]

02 APRIL 2019

Muhamad Algiffari
Deliverable 05

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Shifting The emPOWERed Farmers
Concept Note

1. Background

Agriculture sector in Gorontalo is a major contributor to economic output, accounting for about
30,9 % of the labour force are in Agriculture. However, much of the current system is unsustainable
and negative externalities such as overconsumption and exclusion often of women and smallholder
farmers.
UNDP has been working with agriculture fintech company (iGrow), Gorontalo Provincial
Government, and farmers in order to increase smallholder farmers income, productivity, improve the
quality of maize, improve access to: seed, fertilizers, technologies, post-harvest services and market.
emPOWERed farmers implementation are designed which are ‘systemic’ so that outcomes are not
dependent upon the program for sustainability. This means that emPOWERed Farmers should not seek
to provide services ( or at least temporarily) but rather enter the market system in a catalytic manner
to tackle the service weaknesses in existing market actors.
Moving forward the emPOWERed Farmers will broaden playing an active and engaged role,
often in partnership with others, in activities such as working with relevant stakeholders investing in
program to improve livelihoods, and empowerment. Achieving the goals in the 2030 Sustainable
Development Agenda requires economies and societies to be embedded parts, this will require a
paradigm shift for development, moving away from current attitudes and approach where social,
economic, and ecological development are seen as separate parts. The agriculture sector is well
positioned to take a lead in making a significant impact to achieving the SDGs while prioritizing and
addressing sector-specific challenges. The agriculture sector has a clear stake in ensuring the
achievement of the SDGs, which is emphasized by its integral role and influence in many crosscutting
dimensions including:
 Enhancing livelihoods for smallholder farmers
 Improving access to employment and decent work
 Productivity enhancement in poor earning areas
 Female and youth empowerment
 Strengthening public private partnerships in the agriculture sector
 Urbanization overtaking farmland

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2. emPOWERed Farmers on SDGs Goals; The Sustainable Development Goals agreed in 2015 set out
an increased role for every stakeholder or actors of poverty alleviation agenda. UNDP are increasingly
seeking public private partnerships, with expanded emPOWERed Farmers model and roles of every
actors related to the achievement of SDGs goals which targeted inclusive growth, tackle the rise in
inequality, with end goals to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.

2.1. emPOWERed Farmers on SDG 1 : End Poverty in All Its Forms Everywhere
The poorest of the poor spend most of their income on food, therefore, food security and accessibility
is fundamental to lifting people out of poverty. As the affordability of food largely relates to income,
ensuring access to food remains one of the key pillars of food security and the wider poverty alleviation
agenda. However, poverty is more than the lack of income and resources to ensure a sustainable
livelihood. It is also reflects a lack of opportunities and many interlinked areas,
including insecure access to food, lack of access to education, employment, healthcare, lack of political
participation, and lack of productive opportunities deriving from natural resources bases. Agricultural
growth in low-income and agrarian economies is at least twice more effective in reducing hunger and
poverty than any other sector. This presents robust growth potential of the agriculture sector in both
aiding in the achievement of SDG1, and driving private sector and development opportunities.
emPOWERed Farmers implementation in Gorontalo engage 150 smallholders farmers to reduce their
vulnerability and strengthen their capacity both as producers and as consumers. emPOWERed Farmers
also help private sector create new markets. UNDP, Gorontalo Provincial Government and agriculture
fintech (iGROW) building inclusive business models which is supporting smallholders farmers and
women by incorporating them into inclusive business models that enable access to seed, fertilizers,
post-harvest practices, and provide market. emPOWERed Farmers model shown in figure below:

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 Figure 1. emPOWERed Farmers Model

emPOWERed Farmers implementation in Gorontalo illustrates how no one actor can take responsibility
for actions to help improve farmer’s income. Private sector have particular roles to play; other roles
can only be taken by other actors, including farmers themselves, governments, and UNDP. The
following tables shows every actor roles on emPOWERed Farmers model.

Table 1. Roles on emPOWERed Farmers Implementation [Link to SDGs 1,2,8]

Government UNDP
> Local government > Advocate the
(Gorontalo Provincial government to provide
government and enabling environment
district) ensure the for private sector to
enabled environment work in their area
for both UNDP and
iGrow to work in their > Facilitating local
area, including: Risk farmers to help
management , smallholder farmers
required policies as access market, seed,
necessary, and fertilizer, and
optimizing the current agricultural technical
government program supports through
(e.g. Brigade Alsintan) contract farming
scheme with private
sector.
Privat Sector (iGrow) Farmers
> Promote the use of > access to seed,
GAP (Good Agriclutural fertilizers, capacity
Practices) through PT. building, and access to
Agrindo Karya Perkasa the market.
as an iGrow operator
> As an equal partner
> Promote appropriate on emPOWERed
access in seed and Farmers
fertilizers is expected implementation
to reduce the need to
borrow from
moneylenders and
collectors. In turn, the
lower cost will reduce
production costs for
contract farmers.

> help private sector > introduction of

create new markets appropriate post-
harvest services.

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 > measure the impact > Providing market for
this model is bringing, contract farmers
and the impact
brought by the
engaged social
business (fintech)

> use various media

platforms, to promote
and to communicate
about this model.

2.2. emPOWERed Farmers on SDG 2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improve Nutrition and
Promote Sustainable Agriculture

A key challenge for the agriculture sector is prioritizing women and girls nutrition and promoting
nutrition awereness among women, especially in rural areas. emPOWERed Farmers play a role in
addressing hunger, and other necessary elements of a better functioning food and agriculture system
by empowering smallholder famers to increase their incomes, encouraging inclusive business models
in the value chains where contract farming scheme improve quality and productivity – inceasing their
own incomes whilst providing healthy and affordable food. As poverty and hunger are predominantly
in rural areas with more than 80% in Gorontalo, smallhoders farmers and their families making up
proportion a significant proportion of poor and hungry. It is vital on emPOWERed Farmers to support
family farmers and smallholder farm production in 4 villages (Huntu-Pilobuhuta, Motinelo, and
Tabongo Barat). The following tables shows every actor roles on emPOWERed Farmers SDG2:

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 Table 2. Roles Every Actors on emPOWERed Farmers Implementation SDG2
Government UNDP iGrow (Private Sector) Farmers
> boost the farmers > capacity building on
> guarantee the > Use its network of productivity, quality, financial management
existence of policy civil society, by providing adequate and Good Agricultural
frameworks and create government, and technical supports, Practices (GAP) to
incentives that ensure private sector partners seed, fertilizers, and increase and manage
protection, attract to promote sustainable market. their incomes.
private sectors and development
facilititate cooperation on SDG > improve the > Awareness on
development relates to goals achievement. agricultural production increasing incomes can
increasing as well as the social and affect their food
smallholders farmers > Promoting children’s economic status of security and better
incomes in order to right to nutrition, contract farmers to nutrition on their
food security and health and education ensure the partnership families.
better nutrition for meets the SDG goals
every smallholders > Encourage the and targets.
families. commitment of
leadership and the
> robust infrastructure alignment of interest
as well as solid market and goals of all
structures as stakeholders through
requirements for the common plan of action
creation of a vicious
circle stimulating > participate in the
agricultural value chains and
development. increasing incomes on
contract farming
scheme by knowledge
sharing on financial
management in
smallholder farmers
families

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2.3. emPOWERed Farmers on SDG3 : Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being For All at All Ages

Ensuring health and well-being is largely tied to food and access to health care. Improving incomes on
smallholder farmers can result in more and better healthy on smallholder farmers families. Given the
core competencies and direct ties to smallholder farmers, emPOWERed Farmers are well placed to help
address awareness lifestyle choices that affect health. Some local NGO potential being a partner to
raise awareness and increase access to targeted health services for smallholder farmers and their
families. The following tables shows every potential actor roles on emPOWERed Farmers SDG3:
Table 3. Roles every Actors on emPOWERed Farmers Implementation SDG3
Government UNDP Local NGO Farmers
> Support with > Advocate > Raise awareness and > Access on smart
regulation and existing government to increases access to nutrition and health
program (e.g. Program collaborate on health services for services among
Kesehatan Keluarga government existing smallholder farmers contract farmers.
dan Gizi Masyarakat, program and their families
Program Promosi
Kesehatan, Program > Promoting children’s
Pencegahan dan right to nutrition,
Pengendalian Penyakit health and education
Masalah Kesehatan

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2.4. emPOWERed Farmers on SDG4: Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote
Lifelong Learning Opportunities For All

Across the emPOWERed Farmers value chain, an effective educational background is required to
understand market potential, manage resources, and acquire bargaining power to ensure fair trade
opportunities. Farmers in rural areas often do not have the most up-to-date information and limited
access to equality education and usually lack high quality entrepreneurial and managerial skills.
Knowledge is power, but rural women generally have little access to education. This hampers
opportunities for women and girls to develop outside of their households, and for instance to support
innovation and households financial management on their contract farming scheme through
emPOWERed farmers implementation. Following tables shown every potential actor roles on
emPOWERed Farmers SDG4.

Table 4. Roles Every Actors on emPOWERed Farmers Implementation SDG4

Government UNDP Academia Farmers
> Supporting > Investing more > Engaging directly in > appropriate access
regulation and resources into agribusiness education on support services to
program on SDG4 ( e.g. providing professional and training at the education and
Program pembinaan and personal institutional level, case personal
pemuda dan education studies, article, and
pendidikan khusus opportunities on curriculum design on > access on Financial
contract farmers how the emPOWERed management
households including Farmers model meets knowledge
women, girls, and the achievement of
youth e.g financial SDGs in Gorontalo. > access on agricultural
management education and training.
knowledge
> Gender inclusivity in
agricultural education
and training.

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2.5. emPOWERed Farmers on SDG5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.
The focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment is apparent across all the SDGs, both as a
stand-alone goal and as a crosscutting theme with more than 30 related targets. Gender inequalities
greatly affect women’s involvement in agriculture, rural development, and food security. Ensuring that
economic growth on emPOWERed Farmers contract farming scheme is gender inclusive remains a
challenge, despite decreasing overall poverty levels and increasing economic growth. Both women and
men farmers are active in maize cultivation, with a number of tasks being done jointly by women and
men. Men tend to make more of the decisions related to maize since they have more knowledge about
maize farming. As with other main commodities, men are in charge of buying inputs for maize
production. Women may do less labour intensive tasks (such as weeding and planting) by themselves.
Following tables shown gender table on maize cultivation in Gorontalo.

Table 5. Gender Table on Maize Production

No Activity in Production Task Division Explanation
M F
1 Decision seed will be planted V V Discussion between men and women.
Decision made based on their neighbor’s
experience on last harvest
2 Buying seed VV V Dominated by men
3 Land preparation Dominated by men. Men cut the grass,
women collect the drying grass and
burned.
3a Cutting and burned grass V V For spraying women prepare water for
3b Spraying herbicide I VV V mixing the herbcide
4 Planting V VV Dominated by women. Men task, move
the line (rope) which use for measure the
distance planting/.
5 Fertilizing 1 and II V V Some farmers were helped by their
children
6 Weeding (spraying herbicide II) VV V Dominated by men, women prepare water
for mixing the herbicide.
7 Pest and diseases control VV V Dominated by men, women prepare water
for mixing the pesticide.
8 Harvesting and post-harvest V V
8a Picking corn V V
8b Open the cornhusk V
8c Threshing V V
8d Drying V V
8e Selling maize VV V
8f Using the money after selling V V Women and men discussed made by both
of them. For buy something expensive,
example land, cattle they discusses. But for
consumption, decision made by women.

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Men typically receive money from maize sales, but this later given to women to manage. Since women
are active in the cultivation of maize, it will be important to ensure that exposure to information on
better practices are accessible to women and tailored to their needs. Women have expressed a
particular interest in post-harvest equipment and technologies that could reduce their labour burden
especially given their high involvement in post-harvest activities. The following tables shows every
potential actor roles on emPOWERed Farmers SDG5;
Table 6. potential actor roles on emPOWERed Farmers SDG5
Government UNDP Academia Local NGO Farmers
> Address gender > Promote gender
> Engaging > knowledge and > women
equality issues equality exist in all
directly in skills such as participating from
regarding land aspects on
agribusiness communication, contract farmers
ownership laws emPOWERed education and negotiation skills, household with
and regulations Farmers training at the and literacy several capacity
implementationinstitutional level, building on
> Women’s access case studies, gender
to farmer support > Working with article, and responsive
services, and finance curriculum design
initiate gender institutions or on how the
inclusion social expert to improve emPOWERed
programmes. households. Farmers model
finance meets the
management achievement of
SDGs in Gorontalo
especially on
gender study
(Goals 5).

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth can only be achieved if farmers have access to secure and
safe employment and receive a living wage that enables them to survive and thrive. emPOWERed
Farmers vision is to provide decent work opportunities and reducing inequalities, and ensure major
societal benefits are addressed in the rural areas. The following tables shows every potential actor roles
on emPOWERed Farmers SDG5;

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 Table 7. potential actor roles on emPOWERed Farmers SDG8
Government UNDP Academia Local NGO Farmers
> Supporting > Education and > Engaging > Youth farming > participating
regulation and training on directly in competition to from contract
program (e.g. gender sensitivity, agribusiness raise youth farmers
program nilai decent working education and awareness and household with
tambah hasil environments, training at the passion on several capacity
pertanian, dan and agricultural institutional level, agriculture building
program policies. case studies,
pengembangan article, and
SDM pertanian curriculum design
on how the
emPOWERed
Farmers model
meets the
achievement of
SDGs in Gorontalo
(Goals 8).

emPOWERed Farmers need trust among the contract farmers as this could reduce dependency on the
middelman in the system and provide enhanced income security for farmers. emPOWERed Farmers on
Gorontalo Province with 150 contract farmers support the productivity and prosperity of farmers,
respect human rights, support gender transformative polices, and increasing incomes to its contract
farmers can contribute to SDG 10 and help reduce inequalities throughout Gorontalo especially in 4
village (Huntu , Pilobuhuta, Motinelo, and Tabongo Barat).

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3. SDGs Achievement on Gorontalo Province

A. Goal 1: End Poverty in all its forms everywhere

Gorontalo Province has made progress in poverty alleviation and had succeded to reduce the
percentage of population living in poverty from 17.14% (2017) to 15.83% (2018). Although, it should
be noted that the absoulte number of people living poverty is still 195,51 thousand people. Thus
poverty alleviation and improvement of people’s welfare by a narrowing disparity have become current
development targets. Poverty rate in Gorontalo Province and other districts in Gorontalo Province
shown in the table below:

Table 8. Poverty Level in Gorontalo Province and Districts (2018)

Kabupaten/Kota Jumlah Penduduk Jumlah Penduduk Miskin Persentase Kemiskinan

Gorontalo 372.856 81.283 21,80
Boalemo 154.008 33.374 21,67
Pohuwato 150.385 33.731 22,43
Bone Bolango 155.238 28.704 18,49
Gorontalo Utara 111.824 20.650 18,51
Kota Gorontalo 206.454 12.490 6,05
Provinsi Gorontalo 1.150.765 195,51 15,83
Source: BPS Provinsi Gorontalo (2018)

B. Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

The sub-national governments are the frontliner for public services provision and for formulating
development policies and programs. In addition to having the authority and fundings well as being
closer to the citizens, local government shave flexibility to make some innovations. Gorontalo Province
to achieve 2030 agenda have some issues will be needs priorities, innovations , and formulating better
development policies and programs such as maternal mortality rate. Access to basic services e.g.
delivery at health facilities, which is essential to reduce maternal mortality rate. Maternal mortality
rate in Gorontalo Province shown in the figure below:

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 Source: Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi Gorontalo 2017

The Maternal Mortality Rate hasn’t decreased yet, strong efforts are needed to achieve the SDGs
targets. One of the main efforts put forward by the government is by ensuring that every childbirth
happened at the health facility. Others factors that also effect were maternal health condition before
pregnancy, access to and quality services, as well as the socio-cultural factors. Most of deaths basically
could be prevented among others through the improvement of the family planning program and the
reduction of early marriage.

C. Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Gender equality and women empowerment achievements are not only related to Goal 5 of SDGs, but
are also related to the measurement of other goals that have specific targets on gender issues. The
formulation of regulations to eliminate discrimination againts women has opened opportunities for
women to participate as decision makers. The gender equality program has resulted in the progress of
full and effective women in several sectors, which are: increase of women participation in parliament
and in several positions. Women participation in parliament of Gorontalo Province and other districts
shown in the table below:
Table 9. Proportion of Seats Held by Women in Parliament

Persentase
Jumlah Anggota
No Prov, Kab/Kota Jumlah Perempuan Partisipasi
Dewan
Perempuan (%)
1 Prov. Gorontalo 45 13 29
2 Kota Gorontalo 25 6 24
3 Kab. Gorontalo 35 8 23
4 Kab. Boalemo 25 5 20
5 Kab. Pohuwato 25 5 20

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 6 Kab. Bone Bolango 23 1 4
7 Kab. Gorontalo Utara 25 4 16
Total 203 42 19,4
Source: Badan Kesbangpol Prov. Gorontalo, (2017).
The proportion of seats held by women in Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) in Gorontalo
Province has an siginificant result (19.4%). However, it increased slightly from 17.86%.

4. emPOWERed Farmers on Rural Development

The concept of rural development is all encompassing multidimensional facets of rural life.
Conceptually rural development is inter-disciplinary relating to economics, political, public health,
business management, and other fields. Rural development refers to improvement in the well being of
the people living in rural societies. Rural development encompasses poverty reduction as it improves
the livelihood of the people who lack capabilities to meet their basic needs. The term rural
development means raising the productivity and the real income of households their levels of livelihood
by increasing employment opportunities in farm and non-farm activities. Rural development programs
like housing and agriculture, health and education bring significant results in terms of increasing
income and social empowerment. emPOWERed Farmers implementation is a concept to accelerate
poverty alleviation through inclusive economic growth. With the support of UNDP, iGrow, and
Gorontalo Provincial Government the partnership model aims to achieve increase in the net incomes
of 151 smallholder farmers in 4 village.

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