The Wijaya Putra University (UWP) Surabaya Research Team held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the theme "Evidence-Based Policy-Making Model for Village Food Security: An Integrated Collaborative Approach in Multi-Stakeholder Governance." This activity is part of research funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (KemendiktiSaintek) through the 2025 Regular Fundamentals scheme.

The FGD, held at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at Wijaya Putra University, was attended by village officials from various sub-districts in Gresik Regency. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities in strengthening village food security by involving multiple stakeholders, from village and sub-district governments to potential collaborations with the private sector, academia, and civil society.

The Head of the Research Team, Dr. Sri Juni Woro Astuti, M.Com., explained that the main objective of this research is to formulate an evidence-based policymaking model that village governments can use as a reference in designing food security policies. "We want to ensure that every policy is based on data, research, and field evidence. Therefore, the implementation of this Bena research program aims to produce an evidence-based policy model that can be used as a reference by village governments. We want to help villages develop effective, participatory, and sustainable food security policies that truly address the needs of village communities," she said.

Furthermore, the integrated collaboration approach offered in this research emphasizes the importance of synergy between actors. Through collaboration, it is hoped that more effective, participatory, and sustainable village food governance will emerge.

The FGD participants welcomed this activity, as it provided a space for direct dialogue to express aspirations, experiences, and challenges faced in the field. The discussion also generated various inputs that will be refined by the research team as part of the development of the policy model. This opportunity also served as a forum for village officials to vent their concerns, many of whom complained about the limited budget disbursement in the form of Village Funds (DD) and Village Fund Allocations (ADD), while villages were burdened with more responsibilities. Therefore, UWP will respond by contributing through activities that will have a more tangible impact on the community.

This research is expected to significantly contribute to strengthening village food policies in Gresik Regency and serve as a reference for other regions in Indonesia in developing evidence-based policies with a collaborative approach.