Strengthening Vegetable Product Downstreaming through Training andMarket Testing in a Disability-Oriented Orphanage

Abstract

Bina Siwi Orphanage cultivates vegetables as part of its economic self-reliance program; however, the products were previously marketed in bulk, without packaging or brand identity, resulting in low added value and limited competitiveness. This Community Service Program (PKM) aimed to strengthen business downstreaming through packaging and marketing training based on a participatory empowerment approach. The implementation method consisted of needs identification, packaging design, technical training and mentoring, branded product implementation, market testing through expos, and monitoring and evaluation. The results demonstrated a transformation from bulk vegetables into branded products with standardized packaging and consistent labeling, an increase in selling price from IDR 3,000 per bundle to IDR 5,000–10,000 per package, and the sale of 20 product packages on a single expo day, serving as market validation. The program also enhanced participants’ skills in packaging and marketing strategies. It began to strengthen managerial capacity by applying cost-based pricing and simple sales record-keeping, thereby encouraging a shift from production-based activities toward a more market-oriented social enterprise. In the long term, this downstreaming model through packaging and branding has the potential to become a sustainable business unit that reinforces the institution’s economic stability and social food self-reliance.