Vice President: Fine Human Resource is the Key to Preserve and Nurture the Earth

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin during the Launching of Pilot Project of Agricultural Corporatization in Supporting Halal Value Chain Ecosystem Based on Islamic Boarding School’s Cooperative, in Al Ittifaq Islamic Boarding School, Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday (22/03). (Photo: Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of Vice President’s Secretariat)

To preserve and nurture the earth is the order given by Allah Swt. to His mankind who live on the earth. To do the task, human may contribute, among others, in agriculture and trade. Therefore, fine human resource in agricultural and trade sectors is needed to nurture the earth.

“The key is fine human resource, the fine human resources who know and own the agricultural, trade, and industry technologies, and so on. Thus, they need trainings to do that. So, it is also about nurturing the earth, develop agricultural economy, amrun diniyun syar’iyyun, it is part of the sharia, and it also part of worship. I think this task is as important as other tasks,” Vice President Ma’ruf Amin said it during the Launching of Pilot Project of Agricultural Corporatization in Supporting Halal Value Chain Ecosystem Based on Islamic Boarding School’s Cooperative, in Al Ittifaq Islamic Boarding School, Rancabali sub-district, Bandung regency, West Java, on Tuesday (22/03).

Furthermore, the Vice President explained that beside nurturing the earth, Islamic boarding school has an important role in agricultural and trade sectors, especially in developing the economy of ummah. It is in line with the three functions of Islamic boarding school stipulated in law. As an institution of education and da’wah (preaching), Islamic boarding school also has the function of empowering people’s economy.

“In particular, I support economic empowerment program based on Islamic boarding school as one of the efforts to contribute to the people’s welfare. The Islamic students who study Islamic religion may take an active part in economic empowerment starting from the people in the school’s neighborhood to people in general,” he said.

The Vice President added that the significant influence of Islamic boarding school in the community has made the school as a conducive place to boost the economic transformation of the people effectively.

“This is our hope. So, the school can be some kind of dynamo that generates the people’s economy,” he said.

The Vice President also appreciates the efforts made by Al Ittifaq Islamic Boarding School in carrying out the task to nurture the earth and empower the people’s economy which is realized through an enterprise named Alif Mart.

“I appreciate Al Ittifaq Islamic boarding school’s cooperative, or called as Kopontren Alif Mart, that has empowered 270 farmers from 9 farmers’ groups in 3 regencies. It is also hoped that more farmers are going to join in the cooperative,” he said.

Alif Mart, the Vice President continued, has implemented a planting method according to market’s demand. It also has adopted good agriculture practice and good handling practice to ensure the quality of the vegetables and its safety for consumption.

“I think I have to give appreciation on this. I also heard that the rotten vegetables are processed to make food for livestock. Then, the livestock’s waste is processed to make fertilizers. All things can be used, nothing is wasted. So, the ecosystem of the processing is very good, we need to develop this,” he imbued.

Concluding his remarks, the Vice President expressed his hope that the good management that has been carried out by Al Ittifaq Islamic boarding school can be an inspiration for other Islamic boarding school, and hopefully, the cooperation built with all related parties can be enhanced to maintain the existence of this strategy in halal industry chain.

“The prime potentials should be developed, so the efforts made by this Islamic boarding school can contribute to develop sharia economy in Indonesia through its enterprises. Therefore, it is important to improve synergy and partnership with the Government, banking industry, or other stakeholders to continue to exist and actively participate in halal industry chain,” he emphasized. (Bureau of Press, Media, and Information of Vice President’s Secretariat/UN) (AW/LW)