The Role of Babinsa in Empowering Farmer Households Towards Food Security
The food security of farmer households in peri-urban areas faces complex challenges such as land conversion and fragmentation, limited capital, and the limited number of civilian Field Agricultural Extension Workers (PPL). In the midst of this vulnerability, the Village Supervisory Officer (Babinsa) serves to strengthen territorial security and to be a companion in local agricultural governance. This study aims to analyze the dimensions of Babinsa's role in empowering farmers, examine the conditions for farmer household empowerment, and evaluate the actual contribution of this military-civilian territorial collaboration to strengthening food security in Ciparay District, Bandung Regency. This study uses a qualitative approach with an exploratory case study method. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with 52 informants (including Babinsa, civil PPL, village government, farmer group administrators, and farmer households), field observations, and interactive thematic analysis using NVivo. The results of the study show that Babinsa plays a multidimensional role that goes beyond conventional military functions, namely as a persuasive motivator, conflict mediator (especially irrigation water disputes), network facilitator (Double Pentahelix), and guardian of the distribution lines of production facilities. This integrated assistance has increased the average productivity of Milled Dry Grain (GKG) from 4.35 Tons/Ha to 5.85 Tons/Ha and maintained stable local grain prices at the farmer level. Farmers' empowerment was achieved in both the cognitive (78.00%) and psychological (65.00%) dimensions, but still experienced limitations in the material (45.00%) and structural (42.00%) dimensions due to land ownership status. This study concludes that the role of Babinsa is significant as an institutional bridge that transforms regional development by increasing farmers' adaptive capacity to maintain production stability and access to sustainable household food.
Keywords: Babinsa, Collaborative governance, Farmer empowerment, Food security, Pentahelix
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