Gunungkidul district, situated in the Karst Mountain area, represents one of the more poverty-stricken regions in Indonesia. The arid nature of this area, coupled with the scarcity of surface water, poses significant challenges to economic development endeavors, particularly in agriculture and animal husbandry. The vulnerability of the natural environment, unfavorable agro-climatic conditions, and unsuitable geographical features further hamper agricultural economic activities in the Karst Mountains of Gunungkidul. This condition causes dryland farm households to be vulnerable to food insecurity. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate dryland farm households’ food security in the Karst Mountain area and examine the associations of food insecurity using the share of household expenditure on food (SEF), energy intake levels, protein intake levels, and food security classification. Food security classification is specifically considered by two indicators, food expenditure proportion, and energy intake levels. The result showed that the number of family laborers, farming experience, household income, farm size, and production negatively impact the share of household expenditure on food. The average household energy consumption is sufficient, but the average protein consumption is less than others. Household food security in the Girisubo sub-district is still low since most households (70.09%) are undernourished, food vulnerable, and food insecure. Dryland farmer households need to get assistance from the local government or the private sector to grasp information about good expenditure management and food nutrition fulfillment in order to improve food security.

Every facet of life, including health, social, and economic aspects, has undergone a tremendous transformation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This condition is exacerbated by socioeconomic fragility and vulnerability amid economic uncertainty, with an enormous debt burden and inequality increasingly spreading to regions. Elements of society in Indonesia experience the problem of a lack of income and capital, in addition to vulnerability and helplessness. Social, economic, community–institutional, and resource vulnerabilities are inevitable; therefore, they must be identified, anticipated, and dealt with to avoid worsening. This research aims to identify the affected households and their economic resilience when facing the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed approach with a sequential exploratory strategy was employed, whereby qualitative data were first collected and analyzed. Based on the findings of the first stage, quantitative data were obtained and examined in the second stage. This study was conducted in two rural locations with distinct characteristics: the Gunungkidul District on Java Island and the Bangkalan District on Madura Island. These findings demonstrate the economic resilience of households in Bangkalan and Gunungkidul. The factors that significantly influence economic resilience are household income, assets, and product availability in the market.

Climate change affects soil degradation, water, and crop. Thus, the adaptation of land management and crop rotation to minimize the impact of climate change is needed. Maize is an important commodity in Indonesia. Central Java province contributes to national production amounted to 40.07% during 2003-2015. In order to increase maize production, dryland farming becomes a good alternative. However, dryland is sensitive to erosion and a lack of nutrients. Thus, an adaptation of climate change can made by applying the conservation of both mechanic and vegetative. This study aims to evaluate the implementation and recommend alternative conservation improvement efforts on farming dryland maize in Central Java. The study was conducted in Central Java by using 270 respondents of dryland maize farm households in Wonogiri, Kendal, Tegal, Grobogan, Wonosobo, and Banjarnegara districts. Conservation Activity Index (CAI) is applied to describe the habits that have been carried out by farmers to preserve their farmland. The results showed that the CAI of maize farmers on dryland in Central Java Province is in the range of 43.5% to 95.7%, with an average conservation application of 75.08%. About 68.9% of farmers are in the medium of the CAI category. Evaluation result showed that conservation activities that are still weak in its application are vegetative conservation methods. Thus, we recommend increasing the cultivation of land cover and annual crops, and the use of mulch to enhance the conservation of dryland maize farming.

Minyak jelantah merupakan salah satu limbah rumah tangga yang berpotensi mencemari lingkungan jika tidak dikelola dengan baik. Selama ini, sebagian besar minyak jelantah dibuang begitu saja ke tanah atau saluran air, sehingga menimbulkan pencemaran dan berdampak negatif bagi kesehatan maupun ekosistem. Berdasarkan permasalahan tersebut, program kerja Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) Universitas Sebelas Maret dilaksanakan dengan tujuan memberikan edukasi dan pelatihan kepada ibu-ibu PKK RT 02 RW 01 Dusun Menjing, Desa Pandeyan, Kecamatan Ngemplak, Boyolali, mengenai pemanfaatan minyak jelantah menjadi lilin aromaterapi bernilai guna dan ekonomis. Metode kegiatan meliputi sosialisasi mengenai dampak minyak jelantah, praktik langsung pembuatan lilin aromaterapi, serta pelatihan kewirausahaan dasar. Analisis dilakukan secara deskriptif terhadap proses pelaksanaan dan respon peserta. Hasil kegiatan menunjukkan antusiasme tinggi dari sekitar 70 peserta, yang sebelumnya belum mengetahui pemanfaatan minyak jelantah sebagai produk bernilai ekonomi. Selain memperoleh keterampilan teknis pembuatan lilin, peserta juga memahami peluang kewirausahaan melalui pengemasan dan strategi pemasaran produk. Kesimpulannya, pelatihan ini tidak hanya mampu meningkatkan kesadaran lingkungan masyarakat, tetapi juga membuka peluang usaha baru yang berkelanjutan dan ramah lingkungan.