The tilapia farming and aquaponics program has been established in Karyasari Village, Garut, utilizing a 1,200-square-meter plot of land. Within a 370-square-meter greenhouse, 12 ponds serve as the core of the system.

This initiative was driven by the persistent issue of stunting in Karyasari Village, which remains a challenge for the local community. Economic hardship and limited access to nutritious food, particularly animal protein, have made toddlers in the village vulnerable to stunting.

The program focuses on developing a productive economy through tilapia farming using the Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) and biofloc technology, integrated with aquaponic farming. It is projected that the program will produce 1 to 4 tons of tilapia and 6,200 pots of organic aquaponic vegetables ready for harvest every two weeks.

Prof. Irwan Meilano expressed his appreciation for the community-based tilapia aquaculture economic development program.

"This initiative aligns with ITB’s vision as an impact-driven university—providing highly nutritious food for the community through the application of research outcomes and collaboration with various stakeholders, including the West Java Provincial Government, Garut Regency Government, and Rumah Amal Salman," he stated.

Chairman of Rumah Amal Salman, Mipi Ananta Kusuma, stated that this program aims to improve access to nutritious food for impoverished and stunted communities through tilapia farming and aquaponics, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established as part of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.

“If this pilot program runs as planned, it is expected to serve as a model (and laboratory) for the distribution and empowerment of ZIS (zakat, infaq, and sadaqah) funds, CSR contributions, and other public or private funds,” he said.

He further emphasized that the program is specifically intended for beneficiaries from low-income and stunting-prone communities. Located in one of the poverty-stricken villages, the initiative is expected to ease the financial burden of poor families and actively involve the local community and Islamic boarding school students (Bahasa Indonesia: santri) in its operation.

The program’s inauguration is also scheduled to be attended by the current Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. Brian Yuliarto; West Java Governor, Dedi Mulyadi; Garut Regent, Abdusy Syakur Amin, and his Deputy, Putri Karlina. Also expected are the Heads of the West Java Marine and Fisheries Department (Bahasa Indonesia: Kepala Dinas Kelautan dan Perikanan Jawa Barat) and the Garut Regency Department of Fisheries and Livestock (Bahasa Indonesia: Kepala Dinas Perikanan dan Peternakan Kabupaten Garut), along with their respective teams, who will visit the greenhouse site in Karyasari Village, Garut.

“The presence of national and regional figures highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration in addressing the complex issue of stunting,” Mipi added.

Collaboration and support from multiple stakeholders are essential to ensure that this model and laboratory can run effectively in the long term, ideally for at least the next 10 years.

Meanwhile, Head of the Rumah Amal Program in the Garut Region, Sinta Nurhia Dewi, explained that while the program primarily focuses on tilapia farming, the fish itself is not distributed directly to stunted communities. Instead, the harvested tilapia is sold in the market, and the profits are converted into nutritious food packages that are distributed to those affected by stunting.

“This program is designed to ensure that children in Karyasari Village receive sufficient protein intake for their growth and development. Moreover, we encourage residents to actively participate by managing the land, which can help them gain new skills and improve household income,” said Sinta.

So far, the program has benefitted 52 families who receive weekly nutrition packages, engaged 12 Islamic boarding school students and local residents, and provided nutrition education through the involvement of 68 integrated health service post (Bahasa Indonesia: Posyandu) workers, university students, and practitioners.

The program titled "Improving Access to Nutritious Food for Impoverished Communities through Productive Economic Development to Combat Stunting in West Java" is a collaborative effort between the West Java Provincial Government, the School of Life Sciences and Technology (SLST) ITB, Mambaul Ulum Islamic Boarding School, and Rumah Amal Salman.

On various occasions, ITB has consistently served as a key partner in humanitarian and community development programs initiated by Rumah Amal Salman. This reflects ITB’s commitment to realizing its vision as a university that delivers tangible impact to society.

Translator: Indira Akmalia Hendri (Urban and Regional Planning, 2021).