The Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas), stated\nthat no nation can progress without food self-sufficiency, as food\nindependence is closely linked to sovereignty and the livelihoods of\nfood producers.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo nation can progress without self-sufficiency. Therefore, Mr\nPrabowo says that self-sufficiency is an honour,\u201d said Zulhas in Jakarta\non Friday.<\/p>\n
According to Zulhas, food issues involve more than just food\navailability; they also encompass the lives of farmers, fishermen, and\nlivestock breeders who are integral parts of the national food\nproduction chain.<\/p>\n
These remarks were made during the launch of the book Indonesian\nFood: From Healthy Plates to Superior Humans<\/em>, co-authored by Zulhas\nand the Special Assistant to the President for Communication and Policy\nAnalysis, Dirgayuza Setiawan. He noted that the book aims to make\ncomplex food issues more accessible to the public, ranging from policy\nperspectives to their connection with national sovereignty and the\nnation\u2019s future.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not just about rice or side dishes on a plate. We must begin\nto understand how vital food is, as it concerns our sovereignty, our\ncivilisation, and our future,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Regarding national food policy developments, President Prabowo\nSubianto stated in August 2026 that Indonesia had achieved\nself-sufficiency in eight food commodities: rice, maize, consumer sugar,\nchicken meat, chicken eggs, shallots, large chillies, and bird\u2019s eye\nchillies. The government continues to target self-sufficiency for\nseveral other commodities. Prabowo mentioned that garlic\nself-sufficiency is targeted within three years, while beef and buffalo\nmeat are targeted within five to six years.<\/p>\n From the producer\u2019s perspective, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded\nthe national Farmer Terms of Trade (NTP) in August 2026 at 129.19, an\nincrease of 1.05 per cent compared to July 2026. During the same period,\nthe Fisherman Terms of Trade (NTN) rose by 0.50 per cent from 108.49 to\n109.04, driven primarily by catches such as mackerel, scad, sea prawns,\nand anchovies.<\/p>\n Zulhas assessed that the position of food producers must continue to\nbe strengthened, including fishermen who face limited bargaining power\nwhen selling their catches. \u201cFishermen lack bargaining power and\nsupport; no matter how hard they work, if they catch fish, their\nbargaining power remains low and prices remain cheap, unless the fish\ngoes rotten,\u201d Zulhas said.<\/p>\n The government is also expanding the Kampung Nelayan Merah\nPutih<\/em> (Red and White Fishing Village) programme as an effort to\nstrengthen the fisheries sector. As of August 2026, 100 fishing villages\nhave been established, with a target of 1,386 villages being operational\nby the end of December 2026.<\/p>\n In the same forum, Dirgayuza stated that one of the inspirations for\nthe book was President Soekarno\u2019s speech regarding the need for food\nproduction to achieve food self-sufficiency and sovereignty. \u201cI was\ninspired to write this with Mr Zul after reading President Soekarno\u2019s\nspeech opening the UI Bogor Campus, now IPB, in its entirety,\u201d said\nDirgayuza.<\/p>\n He noted that this line of thinking positions consumption and\nproduction as two interconnected sides in determining a nation\u2019s ability\nto meet its food needs. \u201cThat speech is mathematically powerful because\nPresident Soekarno felt the end result is mathematics. How much we\nconsume determines how much we must produce,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dirgayuza added that this approach serves as a foundation for the\nbook to view food not just through production figures, but through the\nfood consumed by the public and its origins. Furthermore, Zulhas\nexpressed hope that discussing food through an approach close to daily\nlife would broaden public understanding of the importance of food\nindependence for economic sustainability, producer welfare, and the\nfuture of Indonesia.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/zulhas-no-nation-can-progress-without-self-sufficiency-1788519933",
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