Jakarta — The government continues to strengthen the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG) as a strategic effort to reduce stunting rates and improve the quality of Indonesia’s human resources. Through collaboration between the central government and village administrations, the program is expected to expand public access to nutritious, healthy, safe, and well-measured food.
Cross-sector synergy has become key to ensuring the program runs effectively in the field. The government is not only distributing food assistance but also building a sustainable system to improve community nutrition from an early age.
Expert Staff of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Husni Mubarok, explained that MBG is one of the government’s national priority programs designed to enhance the quality of Indonesia’s human resources.
“This program is expected to improve the nutritional quality of the community through the provision of healthy, measured, and easily accessible food for targeted groups,” he said.
According to Husni, the MBG program aligns with the government’s broader vision of realizing the Golden Generation of Indonesia 2045. Improving nutritional quality from an early age is believed to be a key foundation for developing a healthy, intelligent, and productive population.
The program’s implementation also involves the active role of village governments as the frontline of public services. With support from village officials and various local stakeholders, the distribution of nutritious food can reach target groups more effectively.
Meanwhile, Member of Commission IX of the DPR RI, Ashabul Kahfi, emphasized the importance of increasing public awareness regarding nutritious eating patterns as a key step in reducing stunting rates.
He noted that stunting remains a major challenge for Indonesia. Even at the regional level, Indonesia’s stunting rate is still relatively high compared to several other countries in the region.
“Indonesia’s stunting rate ranks second, only below Bangladesh in the ASEAN region,” he stated.
According to Ashabul, the Free Nutritious Meals Program represents a strategic step by the government to improve the nutritional intake of the population, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, and toddlers. Proper nutritional intervention from an early stage will significantly impact both physical growth and children’s cognitive development.
“The Free Nutritious Meals Program is a strategic step by the government to improve community nutrition, particularly for children and vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and toddlers. With proper nutrition from an early age, Indonesian children are expected to grow healthier and develop better learning abilities,” he added.
With the strengthening of the MBG program and support from various stakeholders, the government remains optimistic that efforts to reduce stunting will become more effective. The program is not only a short-term solution to meet nutritional needs but also a long-term investment in the nation’s future—aimed at creating a healthy, intelligent, and globally competitive Indonesian generation.
