National Nutrition Agency strengthens cooperation with ASEAN, shares best practices for Free Nutritious Meals
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Nutrition Agency continues to strengthen regional cooperation in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) on child nutrition and the provision of Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) in schools.
This commitment is demonstrated through the organisation of the “ASEAN-ID Nourish: Forum on Healthy School Meals and Nutrition for Human Capital Development and Resilient Food System,” which takes place from today, Monday, until Wednesday (27-29/4) in Semarang, Central Java.
“This forum serves as an important momentum for ASEAN countries to share experiences and best practices in providing nutritious meals in schools. We believe that providing safe, nutritious, and high-quality food is the primary foundation in building healthy, superior, and competitive human resources, while also strengthening food security in the region,” stated Deputy for Provision and Distribution of BGN, Suardi Samiran, in his statement in Jakarta on Monday.
The organisation of this forum aligns with the mandates of ASEAN Leaders, particularly through the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises in 2023, which emphasises the importance of strengthening resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.
Through this forum, BGN encourages the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and good practices among ASEAN member countries and external partners, which is expected to strengthen policies and the implementation of more effective, inclusive, and sustainable school meal programmes.
“In this forum, we will also discuss the strategic role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives, and local actors in supporting food supply while strengthening the regional economy through the school meal programme supply chain,” said Suardi.
As part of the activities, participants will also conduct field visits to the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) in Semarang to directly review the programme’s implementation, including the involvement of local actors in providing nutritious meals.
This forum will be attended by representatives from ASEAN member countries, ASEAN external partners, the ASEAN secretariat, and international organisations. Various strategic issues will be discussed, including strengthening local food supply chains, ensuring food safety and hygiene, waste management, and the utilisation of technology to improve monitoring and accountability systems for the programme.
Through this forum, it is hoped that regional cooperation can become more concrete, collaborative, and provide real impacts in the fields of food, nutrition, and human resource development in the ASEAN region.