By: Farhan Zhafran)*
President Joko Widodo emphasized his commitment to maintaining food stability in Indonesia. This was conveyed on various occasions, where the President emphasized the importance of maintaining food security as one of the government’s top priorities. Food stability is crucial in facing global challenges such as climate change, energy crises, and supply chain disruptions.
Efforts to maintain food stability cover various aspects, from increasing domestic production to strengthening national food reserves. The government is trying to increase the productivity of the agricultural sector by providing support for farmers, such as fertilizer subsidies, assistance with modern agricultural tools, and skills improvement training.
The government’s steps in maintaining food security stability are certainly not as easy as turning over a hand, there needs to be support from all elements of society, related stakeholders from the central to regional levels. They must be able to take an important role in realizing national food security. Food independence is not only a symbol and slogan in each meeting, with a sweet arrangement of sentences, but there must be real implementation from all parties.
The government’s steps in maintaining food stability are certainly a great hope to be able to meet all domestic food needs without having to rely on imports. Although there are imports to meet food needs, of course, in a volume that is realistic in meeting domestic food needs.
The government’s efforts in building food security are one of the ways to create new land. As an agricultural country, agriculture is still one of the main sectors to strengthen food security and the economy. The government’s efforts to improve food security have received assistance from the Food Agricultural Organization (FAO).
President Joko Widodo received the Agricola Medal Award from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which was presented directly by the Director General of FAO, Qu Dongyu, at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Friday, August 30, 2024. This award was given as a form of recognition of President Jokowi’s contribution and commitment in improving people’s welfare and supporting FAO’s goals in achieving food security.
This commitment certainly must not stop, it must continue and be carried out by the next government. The award is a symbol, but the implementation in the field must remain real. The new government has a difficult job to do, because maintaining the stability of food needs is something that is absolutely demanded by the Indonesian people.
Head of the National Food Agency (NFA), Arief Prasetyo Adi, said that this award is proof of Indonesia’s consistency in maintaining food security. Indonesia previously received a similar award 39 years ago, when President Soeharto received an award from the FAO for his success in achieving food self-sufficiency.
This award was given to President Jokowi for his efforts to combat hunger and poverty, as well as strengthen food security and community nutrition. The award is considered real proof of the Indonesian government’s commitment to developing the food sector.
Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, added that this award is a new history for Indonesia. During President Jokowi’s 10-year administration, Indonesia has succeeded in achieving food self-sufficiency, with perfect achievements without importing medium rice. This achievement cannot be separated from the close cooperation between the National Food Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, and local governments.
Arief also emphasized the importance of synergy between all stakeholders in building strong food security. Synergy between upstream and downstream is key to creating a strong food ecosystem, with a focus on the welfare of farmers, ranchers, and fishermen as food producers.
Indonesia has demonstrated its ability to maintain economic stability amidst global challenges. While other countries are experiencing significant spikes in inflation, Indonesia’s inflation rate is well controlled. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that annual inflation in July 2024 was at 2.13 percent, lower than inflation in the previous month which reached 2.84 percent.
In facing the challenges of climate change, the government is also diversifying food. The development of alternative food crops such as sorghum and tubers is being intensified to reduce dependence on rice. This step is expected to strengthen food security in the long term.
The agrarian reform program is also part of the strategy to maintain food stability. The government has distributed land to small farmers to increase their productivity. Wider access to land will allow farmers to increase their harvests and reduce the risk of food shortages.
Collaboration between the central and regional governments also continues to be strengthened. Each region is encouraged to develop local food potential that can support national food needs. Regional governments are given an important role in overseeing the distribution and availability of food in their respective regions.
Efforts to diversify food sources are also emphasized in the government’s strategy. Not only focusing on rice as the main source, the government is also developing other local products such as corn, cassava, and soybeans to strengthen food security.
Food security in Indonesia also involves the private sector. The government encourages investment in the agricultural sector and food technology, both by domestic and foreign companies. Technological innovation in agriculture is considered capable of increasing food efficiency and productivity.
In the long term, President Jokowi hopes that Indonesia can become one of the countries that is self-sufficient in food. To achieve this vision, there needs to be synergy between the government, society, and the private sector. All parties are expected to play an active role in maintaining national food security.
At the global level, Indonesia is also committed to contributing to maintaining world food stability. International cooperation in agricultural technology, food distribution, and climate change mitigation continues to be carried out to maintain the stability of the global food supply chain.
One of the biggest challenges in maintaining food stability is overcoming changes in people’s consumption patterns. President Jokowi also encouraged a campaign to reduce dependence on rice and encourage the consumption of more varied and nutritious local foods.
The government also pays attention to food safety. Supervision of the quality and safety of food products is tightened to protect the public from products that are not suitable for consumption. The POM Agency and related agencies actively monitor products circulating in the market.
With all the efforts made, President Jokowi is confident that Indonesia’s food stability can be maintained amidst the growing global challenges. Food stability is not only about availability, but also about fair access for all levels of society.
*) The author is a Jakarta student living in Bandung
