Ministry of UMKM and Persagi Collaborate to Develop 'Nutripreneurs' to Support MBG

The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) is collaborating with the Central Board of the Indonesian Nutritionists Association (DPP Persagi) to develop entrepreneurs in the nutrition sector, or ‘nutripreneurs’, to strengthen the ecosystem of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme. Deputy for Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of UMKM, Riza Adha Damanik, stated that the collaboration is expected to produce nutritionists who not only possess professional competence but are also capable of building businesses that create employment opportunities. “We welcome Persagi’s initiative to establish cooperation within the framework of encouraging the emergence of nutripreneurs who have expertise related to nutrition and, on the other hand, become entrepreneurs who contribute to the regional economy,” Riza said on the sidelines of the Second National Scientific Meeting of Persagi in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday. He explained that the Ministry of UMKM has prepared three steps to support the programme: strengthening business incubation, data collection through the SAPA UMKM platform, and developing an incubator network with Health Polytechnics (Poltekkes) and health-based universities. According to him, the incubation process is a crucial stage for prospective business actors to obtain training, mentoring, and access to financing through the government’s flagship programme, the Entrepreneurship and Job Creation Programme (Prokersa). “The hope is that this programme will also target the nutritionists or nutripreneurs we will produce in the future,” he said. Furthermore, Riza noted that SAPA UMKM serves as a government instrument to collect more accurate data on business actors so that business development services and access can be provided more inclusively, particularly for UMKM in the food sector. He also appreciated the implementation of the MBG Programme in East Java, which has successfully expanded its reach while involving farmers, fishermen, livestock breeders, planters, market traders, and UMKM in the supply chain. “This scheme not only improves the nutritional quality of the community but also drives regional economic turnover,” he stated. Meanwhile, Chairman of DPP Persagi, Doddy Izwardy, said the collaboration with the Ministry of UMKM is part of efforts to strengthen nutritional development through the development of human resources who have both competence and an entrepreneurial spirit. He added that his party wants to ensure that various national nutrition programmes continue to be guided by a scientific approach so that the benefits can be felt sustainably. The results of the Second National Scientific Meeting of Persagi will be formulated as recommendations to the government to support national nutrition development, including accelerating stunting reduction, which is a target for achieving Golden Indonesia 2045.