Semarang City Hosts World-Class Experts in National Dialogue on Best Practices for Free Nutritious Meals Programme
The Semarang City Government is hosting the National Dialogue on Best Practices for Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) from 28-30 April 2026. Centred at the Gumaya Tower Hotel, this forum themed “Growing Together” serves as a space for discussion and the exchange of ideas to support multilevel collaboration in enhancing the MBG Programme.
A lineup of world-class food and nutrition authorities will be present, ranging from the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) of Indonesia, Dadan Hindayana, to regional experts in the ASEAN-ID Nourish Forum such as Amalia Serrano (ASEAN Secretariat), Kaoru Uno R.D. (Japan’s Ministry of Health), Nur Dayana (Malaysia), and Filippo Gavazzeni (Director of MUFPP).
The regional discussion strength is further enhanced by the presence of Alfrey P. Gulla (Philippines), delegates from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training, and Pattamaporn Aksornchu (Thailand). The attendance of these experts reinforces Semarang’s position as a centre for strategic idea exchange, involving diplomatic support from the Italian Deputy Ambassador, Massimiliano Bertollo.
“We aim to gather various inputs so that the goals of improving nutrition and the quality of Indonesia’s human resources can be achieved sustainably,” said Semarang Mayor Agustina Wilujeng.
The presence of these experts aims to bridge communication between the central government as the programme organiser and local governments as supporters. This Pentahelix synergy is necessary to gather perspectives and policy recommendations to refine programme planning. “This dialogue is expected to bridge communication so that we can synergise to realise the success of the Free Nutritious Meals Programme.”
Enthusiasm for the event is high, evidenced by the number of registrants reaching 178 out of a total quota of 200 participants as of Sunday, 26 April 2026. As part of the event series, Agustina Wilujeng is scheduled to receive official recognition as the MUFPP Steering Committee for the Asia Pacific Region, a strategic position in the global urban food policy network.
“The national scale of this event is evident from the presence of delegates from 19 cities representing various regions of Indonesia, such as representatives from Pekanbaru, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, to Tual. This collaboration is a major asset for aligning nutritional standards and governance in the regions,” said Agustina.
The substance of the discussions will be sharpened through technical presentations from Sabbat Christian Jannes (Coordinating Ministry for Food) on production and distribution pillars. Nutrition experts from IPB University, Prof. Ahmad Sulaeman, and Agus Rusly (Ministry of Environment and Forestry) are also preparing to present analyses related to nutritional safety and food waste management to ensure the programme operates with a zero-waste spirit.
As a concrete step, participants will conduct a field visit on Thursday, 30 April 2026. The destinations include SPPG POLRI POLDA Jateng 1, SPPG Kedungmundu 2, and SPPG Pedalangan as nutrition production centres. The group is also planned to visit Sandi Buana Farm to observe the food supply chain, as well as Galeri Batik Alam Malon as a representation of sustainable local economic empowerment.
“Synergy with experts and direct inspections of service units will serve as capital for each region. We want high nutritional standards and strict food safety to become the main foundation for the success of the Free Nutritious Meals Programme throughout Indonesia,” said Agustina.