Red and White Cooperative, President Prabowo’s Strategic Step to Achieve Food Self-Sufficiency
Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto continues to push for various strategic measures to achieve national food self-sufficiency. One such measure is the establishment of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KopDes/Kel).
This effort is in line with the mandate of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, which states that the Indonesian economy is structured on joint efforts based on the principle of family.
“Village cooperatives are an effort to increase food security,” said Prabowo, quoted from the official website of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative.
Cooperatives Minister Budi Arie Setiadi stated that the idea for the establishment of the Red and White Village Cooperatives (KpDes/Kel Merah Putih) came directly from President Prabowo. KopDes/Kel Merah Putih was designed as a solution to improve the welfare of village communities and address economic challenges in rural areas.
“This cooperative is also expected to break the distribution chain of goods that has been detrimental to producers and consumers, so that prices can be lower for the public,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Center of Digital Economy and SMEs (CODES) Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), Izzudin Al Farras, assessed the idea and concept of implementing the KopDes/Kel Merah Putih program as very good.
“We support this program to advance public welfare and support food security, ensuring affordable food prices for the public and improving farmer welfare,” he said in an interview on the Indef YouTube channel.
Izzudin reminded that the implementation of the program has several challenges, such as budget, governance, impact on local entrepreneurs, and supervision.
It is known that President Prabowo is scheduled to inaugurate the Red and White Kopdes national program on July 21, 2025 in Bentangan Village, Wonosari District, Klaten Regency, Central Java.
This program is part of the realization of the 6th Asta Cita vision, namely strengthening equitable and inclusive economic growth, and alleviating poverty through strengthening village economic institutions.
The government, through the coordination of the Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, together with related ministries and institutions, has moved quickly to realize the target of establishing 80,000 village and sub-district cooperatives throughout Indonesia.
