Rural Youth Climate Action Movement for Cool Farming in Indonesia

Climate change poses major challenges for agriculture and forestry. On the one hand, the pace and scope of climate change overwhelms smallholder farmers’ adaptive capacity. On the other hand, the greenhouse gas emissions of these sectors themselves contribute massively to climate change. Moreover, the smallholder family farms that produce the bulk of staple foods in the Global South do not have the means to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. This jeopardises food security, leads to impoverishment and to the migration of young people to the cities. The project in Indonesia aims to reverse this trend by promoting the knowledge of young rural people on climate-friendly and -resilient, yet profitable methods of smallholder agriculture and supporting pilot projects of young farmers. Anchoring in youth associations, as well as university and policy support, promotes the sustainability and upscaling potential of the project approaches.

Project data

Countries: Indonesia
IKI funding: 669,488.00 €
Duration: 03/2024 till 02/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Humboldt-University of Berlin, Centre for Rural Development (SLE)
Implementing Partner: Jaringan Masyarakat Tani Indonesia (JAMTANI)

Motivator Community Development Foundation
Online: https://rycam.id/

https://www.sle-berlin.de/projekte/rycam/

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State of implementation/results

Through events, social media channels and contests, the project has started to establish a "Generation Z Network" committed to transforming family farms into thriving and resilient net-zero emission farms.
The project has launched its own project website and Instagram channel to reach out the rural youth generation to actively participating in the project activities.
School projects on climate protection measures on farms have been be carried out to raise awareness among land users.
A school challenge has been conducted in 2024 to raise awareness about climate protection measures in the AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use) sector across the islands of Bali, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua, and Sumatra. 66 idea proposals from 60 schools were submitted and out of these, 32 winning groups/schools were selected, and will be supported to implement their proposed ideas.
The project activities increase awareness of food security under the pressure of climate change, practical experience and capacity with "cool farming" practices and their importance for climate change mitigation, adaptation and prosperity of family farms (see project information www.sle-berlin.de/…).
A feasibility study and analysis of youth opportunities on net zero farming have been conducted in 2024 by nine young researchers (postgraduate students and junior researchers).

Latest Update:
12/2025