HUMAS FH-USU: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 – The TALENTA Research Team of the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FH USU), held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) titled “Implementation of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Policies by the Regional Governments of Serdang Bedagai and Batu Bara Regencies as an Effort to Strengthen Food Security in the Industry 4.0 Era.” The discussion was held from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. WIB at the DPF Room, Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan. The event was officially opened by the Dean of FH USU, Dr. Mahmul Siregar, S.H., M.Hum., and attended by academics, provincial and regional government agencies, and civil society organizations.

The research team invited five speakers from government institutions, namely Fitrawan Purwanto Ginting, S.P., M.P., from the Agriculture and Food Security Agency of North Sumatra Province; Ir. M. Dev.Plg Harris Simanjuntak from the Regional Office of the National Land Agency (BPN) of North Sumatra; Fathorasi, S.P., from the Agriculture Agency of Serdang Bedagai; T. Amri Zulfikar Nong, S.Pi., from the Food Security Agency of Serdang Bedagai; and Suhariawan from the NGO Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA). The FGD was also attended by invited guests, including academics from the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Islam Sumatera Utara, as well as several students from the Faculty of Law, Universitas Sumatera Utara.

The FGD was organized in response to the growing threat of conversion of productive rice fields in two of North Sumatra’s major food-producing regions, Serdang Bedagai and Batu Bara Regencies. The discussion aimed to examine the alignment between legal norms stipulated in Regional Regulations (Perda) and their practical implementation in the field, as well as the integration of spatial planning data, the provision of irrigation infrastructure, and the protection of farmers’ socioeconomic rights.

The FGD served as an initial step to obtain primary data for the 2026 TALENTA USU Research Project, which examines one of the key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG 2: Zero Hunger. The research team consists of three lecturers: Dr. Agusmidah, S.H., M.Hum., as the principal researcher; Putri Nurmala Sari Siahaan, S.H., M.H.; and Farahdiba Syawlia Siregar, S.H., M.Kn. The project also involves three FH USU students: Darlyan Hadi Pratama, Geopretty Joanita Angelina Sianipar, and Muhammad Khalid Al-Azis.

During the FGD, one of the key issues identified was the lack of coordination between the Agriculture and Food Security Agency of North Sumatra and the Regional Office of ATR/BPN of North Sumatra regarding the updating of satellite imagery. This situation may contribute to discrepancies in data between the two institutions.

The research team hopes that the Provincial Government and regional governments can strengthen coordination and communication to prevent misunderstandings concerning the utilization and measurement of agricultural land, rice fields, and plantations. Improved coordination is expected to support more accurate data management and strengthen the implementation of sustainable food agricultural land protection policies in North Sumatra.