Empowering the Kuta Indigenous Community through the Merah Putih Cooperative: Palm Sugar Production for Local Economic Development
Keywords:
palm sugar, community empowerment, cooperative, value chain, indigenous communityAbstract
This community engagement program addresses the economic vulnerability of palm sugar producers in Kuta Indigenous Community, Ciamis Regency, who face inconsistent product quality, limited collective business management, and dependence on intermediaries. The program aims to strengthen the palm sugar value chain through the Merah Putih Cooperative while maintaining local knowledge and cultural practices. An Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach was combined with participatory action and a cooperative-based pilot intervention. The implementation consisted of community socialization, technical training, application of appropriate technology, mentoring and participatory evaluation, and a sustainability phase. Interventions focused on production standardization through an SNI-based standard operating procedure, simple quality grading, hygienic equipment, standardized molds, packaging, cooperative business records, and collective marketing. The implementation documented in the field shows strengthened stakeholder coordination, a dedicated cooperative facility, and differentiated palm sugar products, including molded palm sugar and granulated palm sugar with cooperative identity. The program therefore positions the cooperative not only as an administrative institution but also as an economic aggregator and collective marketing agency. The approach offers a practical model for strengthening indigenous rural economies by connecting local resources, institutional capacity, product upgrading, and sustainable market development.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rabiatul Adwiyah, Imam Indratno, Ivan Chofyan, Sena Kuntoro
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