Jakarta – The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program is considered necessary to continue as a long-term investment in developing healthy, intelligent, and competitive Indonesian human resources. Several observers believe that the program’s sustainability can have a positive impact on meeting children’s nutritional needs while also supporting the improvement of the quality of learning in schools, provided its implementation is continuously refined.
A.G. Subarsono, a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Management and Public Policy at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), stated that the MBG program has an excellent goal of improving the nutritional quality of Indonesian children. He believes that policy refinements are necessary to optimize the program’s benefits and ensure its targeted reach.
“Politically, the MBG program truly has a noble goal,” said Subarsono. He added that refining the target recipients will make the program more effective and open up opportunities to improve the quality of food menus for children in need.
Similarly, Dr. Inneke Hantoro, a food observer and lecturer at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology at Soegijapranata Catholic University, believes that the MBG concept is on the right track as an effort to improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources.
According to Inneke, the challenges still faced lie not in the program’s objectives, but rather in its implementation on the ground. Therefore, strengthening food safety standards, distribution monitoring, and ongoing evaluation are key to maximizing the program’s benefits.
“The MBG program is conceptually sound, but its implementation needs to be continuously strengthened, especially in ensuring food safety,” said Inneke.
A similar view was expressed by Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng, who described the MBG as a major investment in developing Indonesia’s golden generation. According to her, the program is not simply food aid, but part of developing healthy, strong, and productive human resources.
“The MBG is not just a short-term program, but a major investment in human resource development towards a more advanced Indonesia,” said Agustina.
Meanwhile, the government is also continuing to strengthen program governance by developing technical guidelines and a monitoring system. It states that the main objectives of the MBG are to improve health conditions, enhance nutritional intake, and increase student motivation and academic achievement. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of food safety, nutrition education, and monitoring and evaluation as part of program implementation.
With the support of various parties, ranging from the government, academics, health workers to educational units, the sustainability of the Free Nutritious Meal Program is expected to be an important foundation in creating a healthier, smarter generation of Indonesians, and ready to welcome the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.