Rising from Food Powerlessness: Books |

In agricultural development, it is inevitable to empower farmers. However, empowerment also depends heavily on whether or not people are willing to participate in empowerment programs. In this case, socio-cultural factors can influence community participation in education, norms, society, knowledge, and perceptions about the program (Shamadiyah, 2010).

Increasing the ability and interest to participate cannot be assumed that all actors have the same capacity. Some people may underestimate the time and energy needed to participate in a meaningful way, while others are quite enthusiastic but may not have the means to get involved from the start (Stokols et al. 2010).

Empowerment is an effort to provide opportunities and abilities to groups of people (the poor) to be able and brave to voice their needs, opinions, ideas, as well as the ability and courage to choose something (concept, method, product, action, etc.) that is best for them. In other words, community empowerment is a process of increasing the ability and attitude of community independence.

According to Rusmiyati in Wulandari (2014), empowerment is a way for people, organizations, and communities to be able to control their lives. Empowerment also means participation in events and institutions that affect their lives. According to Sumodiningrat (in Theresia, et al., 2014), community empowerment is an effort to make communities independent through the manifestation of their abilities.

Empowerment is an effort to build strength itself, by encouraging, motivating, and raising awareness of the potential that each person has and trying to develop it.

Community empowerment is a concept of economic development that contains social values ​​and reflects a new perspective on development that is empowering, sustainable, and—more importantly—people centered (Chambers, in Norr, 2011).

The concept of community empowerment includes the understanding of community development and community based development. The main approach in the concept of empowerment is that the community is made the subject, not the object, in development activities.

Community empowerment is closely related to participatory development. In participatory development, efforts and preparatory steps are needed to strengthen community institutions in order to realize progress, independence, and prosperity with a sustainable atmosphere so that later participants are free from the shackles of their powerlessness (Soebiato, 2013).

Forms of powerlessness such as poverty, food shortages, unemployment, financial difficulties, and so on.[]