The Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Universitas Negeri Malang held Guest Lecture featuring Mr. Mohammad Asri Yusoff, an entrepreneur in the Harumanis industry and a member of the UniMAP delegation
This lecture is part of the Geography department’s ongoing commitment to integrating sustainability-oriented scholarship in line with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Mr. Asri delivered a presentation titled “Historical Geography as a Positive Driver of Fertility and Growth in the Harumanis Industry.” He explained how the long-term geographic evolution of Perlis—its soil formation, microclimate stability, and inherited land-use knowledge—continues to support the high fertility required for Harumanis cultivation. His talk demonstrated how historical environmental processes contribute directly to contemporary agricultural resilience.
He highlighted three core historical–geographical foundations that drive the sustainability of the Harumanis sector:
1) Past settlement and land-use patterns that shaped fertile agricultural zones,
2) Microclimatic conditions formed through long-term ecological interactions,
3) Traditional cultivation knowledge that remains relevant for modern agroindustry.
These insights aligned with UM’s strategic direction toward strengthening research and teaching related to sustainable agriculture and community-based development. Mr. Asri emphasized that the Harumanis industry thrives because it harmonizes environmental heritage with modern agronomic innovation—a model aligned with SDG principles.
The lecture enriched participants’ understanding of how historical geography can inform sustainable food systems, echoing the Department of Geography’s broader mission to promote sustainability literacy, geospatial reasoning, and evidence-based solutions for local and regional development.
This event marked another step in the department’s effort to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability goals through academic collaboration, applied geographic knowledge, and international engagement
