We need to make our people fall in love with our own food\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Special Assistant to the President for\nCommunication and Policy Analysis, Dirgayuza Setiawan, believes that the\nFree Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme can shape public consumption\nchoices towards food that can be produced domestically.<\/p>\n
Dirgayuza stated that strengthening food independence must be pursued\nnot only through production and cost efficiency but also by considering\nthe types of food that become popular among the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is why we need to make our people fall in love with our own\nfood,\u201d said Dirgayuza during the launch of the book \u2018Indonesian Food:\nFrom Healthy Plates to Superior Humans\u2019 at IdeaFest 2026 in Jakarta on\nFriday.<\/p>\n
According to him, the MBG programme can serve two functions\nsimultaneously: assisting in the absorption of produce from farmers and\nfishermen in the short term, and shaping public consumption preferences\nin the long term.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MBG is a mechanism not only to act as a short-term off-taker for\nour farmers and fishermen in every region, but also a way for us to\ndetermine consumer preference in the long run, so that our people prefer\neating food that we can produce domestically,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dirgayuza noted that consumer choice is linked to production, as\npublic demand for certain types of food ultimately influences which\ncommodities need to be provided and developed.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he believes that strengthening food independence requires\naligning the production side with the consumption side, including\nexpanding public acceptance of food that is available and can be\ndeveloped within the country.<\/p>\n
This approach, according to Dirgayuza, is also crucial when certain\ncommodities are difficult to produce competitively in Indonesia due to\ndifferences in resource conditions and production characteristics.<\/p>\n
He assessed that public consumption patterns can evolve alongside the\navailability and introduction of certain food products.<\/p>\n
Building consumer preference is seen as an aspect that must be\naddressed alongside increasing production capacity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to look at how we choose as consumers, because what we\nchoose ultimately determines the outcome,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
On the supply side, Presidential Regulation Number 115 of 2025\nregarding the Management of the Free Nutritious Meal Programme mandates\nthat the implementation of MBG prioritises the use of domestic products\nand the involvement of micro-enterprises, small businesses,\ncooperatives, Red and White Village\/Sub-district Cooperatives, and\nvillage-owned enterprises.<\/p>\n
In July 2026, the Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan\n(Zulhas), mentioned that the MBG programme has already involved\napproximately 148,000 local food suppliers, consisting of village-owned\nenterprises (BUMDes), Red and White Village\/Sub-district Cooperatives,\nfarmer groups, livestock groups, and micro, small, and medium\nenterprises (MSMEs).<\/p>\n
The government has directed the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units\n(SPPG) to empower farmer groups, livestock breeders, fishermen,\ncooperatives, and MSMEs around the MBG kitchens to act as food\nsuppliers, ensuring that supply does not rely on only one or two\nproviders.<\/p>\n
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) previously emphasised that SPPG\nmust prioritise local products, including absorbing supplies from\nbreeders and businesses in each respective region.<\/p>\n
In the same forum, Zulhas stated that strengthening domestic food\nproduction is also linked to efforts to reduce dependence on foreign\nsupplies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are not self-sufficient in the food sector, our food will\ndepend on imports,\u201d said Zulting.<\/p>\n
According to the Coordinating Minister for Food, food security and\nself-sufficiency are also related to the economic sustainability of\ncommunities that depend on the agriculture, fisheries, and livestock\nsectors.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo country can advance without self-sufficiency. Therefore,\nPresident Prabowo says that self-sufficiency is an honour,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
During the discussion, Zulhas and Dirgayuza positioned food not\nmerely as a matter of production volume, but as an issue involving\nconsumption patterns, producer welfare, nutrition, and food\nindependence.<\/p>\n
Dirgayuza assessed that the connection between production and\nconsumption choices is vital so that the increase in domestic food\ncapacity is accompanied by the formation of sustainable demand for\nnational production results.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dirgayuza-free-nutritious-meal-programme-can-shape-domestic-food-consumption-choices-1788508958", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }