Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the Free Nutritional Meal Program (MBG) is a strategic government policy to ensure that all Indonesian children have equal access to healthy food.
He emphasized that this program focuses not only on providing food, but also on developing the quality of human resources for the future.
“We want all Indonesian children to receive adequate nutrition. This is not just about food, but about the future of the nation and the quality of the next generation,” he said.
The President added that the MBG program also has a broad economic impact in the regions, especially for farmers, fishermen, and small businesses who are the main suppliers of food.
He explained that a local supply chain-based approach is a concrete effort by the government to ensure that the program’s benefits reach even the lowest levels of society.
“We want people’s economic activities to grow from the bottom up, starting with community kitchens, local farmers, and businesses directly involved in providing nutritious food,” he said.
Following up on this directive, the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, explained that by October 2025, the MBG program had reached 36.7 million beneficiaries across Indonesia.
He attributed this achievement to the close collaboration between local governments, schools, and the communities directly implementing the program.
“We ensure that the MBG implementation is transparent, on-target, and has a real impact on improving the nutrition of schoolchildren,” he said.
Dadana added that there are currently more than 12,500 active Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) serving as the backbone of MBG implementation in various regions. Of that number, approximately 70 percent directly involve local MSMEs.
“This mutual cooperation approach not only improves the nutritional status of the community but also stimulates the local economy in the areas where it is implemented,” he said.
Dadana further emphasized that the BGN is targeting 82.9 million beneficiaries by the end of 2025, with a focus on expanding its reach to the 3T (frontier and remote) regions. According to him, increasing service capacity and strengthening the local food supply chain will accelerate the realization of national economic equality.
“The MBG program is concrete evidence of the state’s presence in improving the health of the nation and improving the welfare of its people,” he concluded.
