The spirit of National Awakening Day should be used as a moment to\nstrengthen the nation\u2019s understanding of the crucial role played by\nIndigenous communities. Customary territories are regarded as the last\nbastion in safeguarding biodiversity and realising sustainable food\nsovereignty amid the threats of climate crisis. This was stated by\nLestari Moerdijat, Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian People\u2019s\nConsultative Assembly (MPR RI), at an online discussion titled\n\u2018Biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples, and Food\u2019 organised by the Denpasar\nForum Discussion 12 on Wednesday, 20 May. According to her, customary\nterritories contain the wealth of forests and local food sources vital\nfor ecosystems.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndigenous peoples are the last bastion in safeguarding biodiversity\nand realising sustainable food sovereignty,\u201d said Lestari.<\/p>\n
Lestari, known as \u201cRerie\u201d, explained that the 20 May National\nAwakening Day theme, \u2018Guard the Nation\u2019s Youth for National\nSovereignty\u2019, closely relates to International Biodiversity Day on 22\nMay, which carries the theme \u2018Acting on a Local Level that Has Global\nImpact\u2019. She highlighted data from the Customary Territory Registration\nAgency (BRWA) showing that at least 4.9 million hectares of Indigenous\ncultivation areas underpin local autonomous food systems. Globally,\nIndigenous peoples are proven to conserve around 80% of the world\u2019s\nbiodiversity.<\/p>\n
Lestari lamented the mass homogenisation of food consumption.\nHistorical data show a drastic shift in Indonesia\u2019s staple foods: this\nhomogenisation pushes Indigenous territories to open monoculture lands\nthat damage local spatial planning. \u201cYet we are capable of building food\nresilience based on local wisdom,\u201d asserted the member of Parliament\u2019s\nCommission X.<\/p>\n
Hilmar Farid, PhD (Director General of Cultural Affairs at the\nMinistry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, 2019\u20132024),\nviewed a mindset problem in building food sovereignty. Although\nIndonesia possesses 100 local carbohydrate varieties, the country\nremains dependent on imported wheat. \u201cOur food system is highly\ncentralised, yet we are an archipelagic nation. Decentralisation of\nnational food is the solution for the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Echoing this, Helianti Hilman of Javara Indigenous Indonesia sees\nsignificant opportunities to export local food products to global\nmarkets as health-conscious living trends rise. However, she criticised\nthat the current crisis is one of policy, not supply.<\/p>\n
From a community perspective, Dicky Senda (Lakoat Kujawas)\nhighlighted the stigma of \u201cfood insecurity\u201d in Timor arising simply\nbecause people do not eat rice, despite abundant local food sources.<\/p>\n
Mongabay Indonesia\u2019s Managing Editor, Sapariah Saturi, stressed that\nthe government must promptly recognise Indigenous rights through the\nIndigenous Peoples\u2019 Rights Act. Without legal recognition, biodiversity\nand local food sources are at risk of extinction.<\/p>\n
In closing, senior journalist Usman Kansong reminded that the\ndevelopment of food estates must not come at the expense of forests for\nbioethanol. \u201cEfforts to preserve biodiversity must begin with small\nthings, such as consuming local non-rice foods in daily life,\u201d he\nurged.<\/p>\n
Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat also called for evaluating the\necosystem of literacy during the National Book Day. Reading indices have\nfallen, with Generation Z giving new hope.<\/p>\n
The DPR (House of Representatives) also flagged vigilance against the\nspread of Hantavirus in Indonesia, noting 23 positive cases from 2024 to\n2026, and urged stronger education and prevention.<\/p>\n
Lestari Moerdijat urged comprehensive measures to address the online\ngambling emergency affecting around 200,000 youths. She also emphasised\nthe importance of integrity in educational institutions to prevent\nillicit fees and accreditation fraud, for the character of the\nnation.<\/p>\n
Moerdijat further urged empowerment of people with disabilities to\nmaster AI for economic independence and to accelerate SMEs in the\ndigital era.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/strengthen-the-role-of-indigenous-communities-in-food-sovereignty-and-biodiversity-1779545561", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }