A group of students from the Postharvest Technology study program at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) achieved a brilliant accomplishment at the Sustainable Innovation National Essay Competition (SINEC) 2026. Calling themselves 'Team Althara', the group successfully won 1st Place (Overall Winner) and a Gold Medal in the Food Security category thanks to their innovation in developing alternative food ingredients.
The innovation introduced is FERBINA, short for Fermentasi Bijian Nusantara (Archipelago Grain Fermentation). This product is a bioengineered composite flour combining cassava with spirulina. The initiative is designed as a strategic solution to reduce national reliance on wheat imports, while simultaneously empowering the potential of local raw materials that are more accessible to farmers across various regions.
Maritza Kayla Zasky Malikha, Agnes Ruth Savira, and Naveed Muhammad Falah, the product developers, stated that the development of FERBINA aligns with the second Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target: Zero Hunger. According to Naveed, food must deliver a broad impact encompassing economic stability, social welfare, and environmental sustainability.
This success was achieved after competing fiercely against hundreds of participants from various universities across Indonesia in the final round held in Yogyakarta on Sunday (June 28, 2026). The team's success was also inseparable from the academic support and intensive technical guidance of their supervising lecturer, Dzulianur Mutsla, S.Si., M.T., Ph.D.
Behind this achievement, the team acknowledged that synergy and a deep understanding of the urgency of food security were key factors. They hope this innovation will not remain merely a scientific paper on paper, but will be practically implemented to increase the added value of local agricultural products in the future.
