Including MBG, These Major Reasons Why Food Security Cannot Be Neglected
The government is accelerating the strengthening of the national food security system in light of the substantial economic and health impacts it generates. These efforts are not only related to public protection but also serve as a crucial foundation for promoting sustainable economic growth in Indonesia.
Deputy for Coordination of Food Affordability and Security at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Nani Hendiarti, emphasised that food security issues are now a cross-sectoral priority. This stems from the high economic losses arising from weak oversight and an incompletely integrated system.
“Food security is extremely important because it directly relates to national priority programmes, including the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, which requires guarantees of food quality and safety,” Nani stated at the CNBC Indonesia Food Summit 2026 held at Menara Bank Mega on Monday (27/4/2026).
She further explained that the policies formulated by the government are not merely reactive but also preventive to avert greater risks in the future.
“Essentially, there are three key aspects regulated: preventing unsafe food from being consumed by the public, strengthening integrated oversight, and mitigating extraordinary incidents such as food poisoning,” she clarified.
At the global level, food security problems also cause massive losses. World Bank data indicates losses amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars annually, most of which affect developing countries.
This situation is reflected in Indonesia. The impacts extend beyond the health sector to the economy, including SMEs, exports, and tourism.
“Macro-level losses in Indonesia can reach 20 to 30 trillion rupiah per year, including due to SME closures, rejected exports, declining tourism, and reduced workforce productivity,” she revealed.
Health Impacts of Unsafe Food
In addition to economic losses, health risks are a serious concern for the government. Numerous diseases arise from unsafe food, particularly affecting vulnerable groups.
“Food poisoning impacts in Indonesia cause losses of Rp2.4-3.1 trillion per year,” Nani said.
This data only covers treatment costs for extraordinary food poisoning events and comes from a 2022 study by the Ministry of Health’s Research and Development.
It does not end there, she added; food poisoning also triggers further losses.
Nani cited WHO data on losses from unsafe food.
“The impacts are quite significant. On average, 1.6 million people fall ill each year. Therefore, it needs to be emphasised. There are many types of diseases; children under 5 years old are affected, suffering from foodborne illnesses,” Nani stated.
According to the WHO, health impacts from unsafe food trigger 200 types of diseases, from diarrhoea to cancer.
And it causes deaths for at least 340 children up to 5 years old due to foodborne diseases.
To address these challenges, the government has issued Government Regulation No. 1 of 2026 on Food Security. This regulation is expected to serve as the basis for strengthening cross-sectoral oversight systems.
“We want to ensure that food security oversight operates in an integrated manner without overlapping between institutions,” Nani concluded.