17,060 Nutrition Service Providers Established in 38 Provinces, MBG Expands to Remote Areas
By: Citra Kurnia Khudori*
The Free Nutritional Meal Program (MBG) continues to show significant acceleration with the establishment of 17,060 Nutrition Service Providers (SPPG) in 38 provinces. This achievement demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to nutrition, even in remote areas, without exception.
The expanding distribution of SPPGs indicates that nutrition policies are no longer concentrated in urban areas. MBG has now emerged as a strategic program that reaches vulnerable groups and strengthens the foundation of Indonesia’s human resource quality from an early age.
The number of SPPGs reached was confirmed by the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana. He emphasized that the growth of MBG services has increased much faster than initial estimates. The 17,060 SPPGs spread across Indonesia have reached 49 million beneficiaries.
Dadan is even confident that by the second week of December 2025, the number of MBG beneficiaries could reach the population of South Korea, which is 51.5 million. The target is to reach 60 million beneficiaries by the end of the year.
Dadan explained that the government’s initial target for 2025 was to build only 5,000 SPPGs with a budget of IDR 71 trillion to serve a maximum of 17.5 million people. However, high public enthusiasm prompted President Prabowo Subianto to accelerate the expansion of MBG services to 82.9 million beneficiaries.
Although the full target may not be achieved this year, the National Agency for National Development Planning (BGN) remains optimistic that it will be able to serve at least 60 million beneficiaries by the end of 2025. Furthermore, Dadan continued, he estimates that the construction of 20,000 SPPGs in agglomeration areas and around 300 SPPGs in remote areas will be completed by the end of December 2025.
With this acceleration, nutritional services are expected to be more equitable, especially for vulnerable groups and areas with limited food access. This program is a crucial part of the government’s strategy to strengthen national nutritional security and improve the quality of human resources through easily accessible nutritious food throughout Indonesia.
The accelerated development of the Food Security and Food Security Agency (SPPG) also has a direct impact on strengthening the local economy. The ever-increasing demand for food encourages the involvement of farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and MSMEs in the regions as part of the MBG supply chain. With a region-based raw material absorption pattern, this program not only serves as an instrument for fulfilling nutritional needs but also stimulates the village economy and reduces inequality between producing and consuming regions. The MBG indirectly creates a sustainable economic cycle, where the benefits extend beyond the recipients of the food, but also to the communities involved in its provision.
Furthermore, the expansion of the program’s scale is not merely a matter of discourse; it demonstrates efforts to strengthen governance by the government to maintain service quality. Everything from food safety standards and logistics distribution to budget oversight is carried out strictly and transparently.
In support of this priority government program, Achmad Ru’yat, a member of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), stated that the establishment of the BGN represents the government’s commitment to ensuring that the benefits of the MBG program are directly felt by the community. The MBG program provides concrete steps in building a healthy and productive generation in the future.
Achmad Ru’yat also explained that equitable distribution of nutritious food, even to remote villages, must be maintained so that all levels of society, including children and pregnant women, benefit. This program also requires joint community oversight to ensure optimal benefits.
The success of the MBG is not solely measured by the number of beneficiaries, but also by its impact on improving national nutritional status. In the long term, this program is expected to reduce stunting, malnutrition, and various diseases caused by malnutrition. Children who grow up with adequate nutrition have a greater opportunity to develop optimally, physically, cognitively, and socially. Thus, the MBG is a strategic investment by the state in preparing Indonesia’s golden generation.
However, implementation challenges in the field still need to be seriously anticipated. Geographical access, limited infrastructure, and differences in regional capacity are factors that must be managed with an adaptive approach. The central and regional governments are required to continue synergizing, ensuring that service standards are equal between urban and remote areas.
Ultimately, the MBG is not just a food aid program, but the foundation of sustainable human development policy. With full support from the government, the House of Representatives, and active public participation, the MBG has the potential to become a significant milestone in the history of national nutrition policy. When access to food isIf nutritious food is truly distributed evenly, the goal of achieving social justice in the health sector is no longer just talk, but a reality felt throughout the country.
)* The author is an observer of socio-economic issues.
