By: Ricky Rinaldi
The Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG) stands as concrete proof of the government’s commitment to building a healthy and superior generation. Launched in early 2025 by President Prabowo Subianto, the program targets 82.9 million beneficiaries, including school-aged children, toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. With a budget allocation of IDR 121 trillion, MBG is designed not only to tackle nutritional problems but also to strengthen national social, economic, and food structures through a cross-sectoral synergy approach.
The success of MBG’s nationwide implementation heavily depends on interagency collaboration. In the MBG Program Acceleration Coordination Meeting held in late June 2025, Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, reported that 5.56 million people had benefited from MBG through 1,861 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG), with budget absorption reaching IDR 5 trillion. He emphasized that speeding up distribution is a top priority to meet national targets as soon as possible. Zulkifli also highlighted that the completion of a Presidential Regulation as the legal foundation is one of the key focus areas to ensure smooth distribution of the program across all regions.
Cross-institutional commitment is further strengthened by support from the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform. Minister Rini Widyantini stated that MBG implementation must adopt a collective, rather than sectoral, approach. She underlined the importance of synergy across agencies framed within four main pillars: governance systems, supply and distribution, promotion and advocacy, as well as monitoring and supervision. Rini believes that harmonization from upstream to downstream will determine the program’s success and that all parties must be actively involved according to their respective roles and functions. She also noted that digitalization and interagency integration must continue to be improved to ensure more efficient, transparent, and measurable implementation on the ground.
At the local level, various initiatives are underway to accelerate MBG implementation. The Musi Rawas Utara Regency Government, for example, collaborates with MSMEs, village cooperatives, and farmer groups to supply nutritious food ingredients. Similar initiatives are taking place in North Bengkulu and West Tulang Bawang, where local community groups are empowered to establish community kitchens for the routine distribution of healthy meals to students and pregnant women. Such community engagement models are considered highly effective in fostering a sense of ownership and enhancing program sustainability.
Beyond Java and Sumatra, MBG also reaches remote and underdeveloped areas such as Papua and East Nusa Tenggara. In Intan Jaya District, Central Papua, the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) work alongside traditional leaders and local governments to operate SPPG units based on local wisdom. Support from security forces and community leaders is crucial to ensure that beneficiaries, particularly children in remote villages, receive nutritious meals tailored to their needs and local cultures. This approach reflects the government’s policy flexibility in adapting to regional conditions.
The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) also plays a role in ensuring optimal cross-ministerial synergy. Deputy III of Kemenko PMK, Nunung Nuryartono, stated that the government continues to update beneficiary data based on addresses and stunting prevalence to ensure that nutrition interventions are more accurately targeted. He stressed the need for data integration between Bappenas, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), and health agencies to improve allocation and distribution decisions. In addition, local food sources such as maggot, moringa, and free-range chicken eggs are starting to be incorporated into MBG menus, having been tested for nutritional content and logistical efficiency.
From a governance perspective, a digital system is being developed to integrate procurement, distribution, monitoring, and reporting of MBG within a single national data ecosystem. Through the Electronic-Based Government System (SPBE), the government is promoting technology adoption across all stages of the program. Rini Widyantini explained that digital transformation is part of public service reform that directly addresses community needs and is integral to building a responsive, adaptive, and data-driven bureaucracy.
On the funding side, collaboration with private sector and philanthropic organizations further strengthens the program’s foundation. Grants from international institutions such as the Gates Foundation, combined with support from state-owned food enterprises and financial institutions like BRI, ensure that MBG is not solely dependent on the state budget (APBN) but also receives sustainable support from the national economic ecosystem. Cooperatives and MSMEs involved in local food supply chains also benefit economically from the program, creating jobs and increasing household incomes.
Public response to MBG has been overwhelmingly positive. In many primary schools, teachers report that students are more focused on learning after routinely receiving nutritious meals. In Merauke, school principals noted increased student attendance as children became more motivated to attend school. Meanwhile, community kitchens established in various regions have absorbed local labor—from cooks to delivery staff—all now covered by the national employment insurance scheme (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan).
One challenge the government is currently addressing is improving transparency and oversight in the field. The Indonesian Ombudsman has provided recommendations that have been promptly followed up with audits and system improvements by the government. Authorities have responded swiftly by assigning BGN and regional governments to conduct comprehensive audits and improve public reporting systems. Going forward, greater involvement of local media and community-based monitoring will be strengthened to prevent fund misuse or declining service quality.
Overall, MBG has demonstrated that collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches are key to the success of large-scale national social programs. With increasingly solid regulations, accurate data utilization, substantial budgetary support, and the commitment of key figures such as Zulkifli Hasan and Rini Widyantini, MBG is evolving from a simple food aid initiative into a strategic investment for the nation’s future. If this synergy model is maintained and further strengthened, the vision of a Healthy Indonesia 2045 will no longer be a mere aspiration—it will be a reality built step by step, day by day.
Strategic Issues Analyst
