Partnership-Based Approach to Improving Food Security: An Outreach Learning Intervention in Rural East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

A university–community partnership in Ujung Pangkah, Gresik Regency, East Java, Indonesia, was established to contribute to household food security and improve family nutrition in a semi-rural setting by optimising home gardens and strengthening women’s capacity through outreach learning and transformative education. Working with 35 members of the Branch Board Aisyiyah (BBA), the program applied participatory methods including focus group discussions, training, mentoring and collaborative practice in sustainable horticulture. Selected crops – cucumbers, yardlong beans, chillies and honey pumpkins – were adapted to local conditions, whilst knowledge co-creation, critical reflection and collaborative experimentation bridged local wisdom with scientific practices. Using a single-group pre–post design, the evaluation results showed a significant increase in participants’ horticultural knowledge (69.9 per cent), high productivity from a 7.2-m² demonstration plot (up to 33.8 tons/ha equivalent) and economic feasibility, with a benefit–cost ratio of 1.32. Beyond technical gains, qualitative evidence suggests that the program fostered empowerment through increased self-efficacy, strengthened social networks and improved women's participation in decision-making, as demonstrated by the formation of the ‘Home Garden Pantry of Aisyiyah’. The primary pathway to food security in this intervention was income-mediated (through the sale of produce) rather than direct household consumption. Critical reflexivity emerged as a central mechanism enabling epistemic dialogue and sustaining transformative learning. Whilst the findings are promising, the single-site design without a comparison group limits causal inference; the results should be interpreted as plausible contributions rather than confirmed effects. The model shows potential for replication in similar contexts, pending further evaluation.