Zulhas: Synergy is the Key to Strengthening National Food Security
Synergy between the government, businesses, and society is the key to building an inclusive, sustainable food system capable of addressing global challenges.
Purbalingga (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) stated that synergy among stakeholders is crucial for strengthening sustainable national food security.
“Synergy between the government, businesses, and society is the key to building an inclusive, sustainable food system capable of addressing global challenges,” he said during a working visit to Bumiku Bumimu Hijau Farm (BBH Farm) in Darmakradenan Village, Ajibarang District, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Saturday.
During the visit, the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, accompanied by Deputy for Coordinating Food and Agricultural Enterprises Widiastuti, held direct dialogues with farmer groups, livestock breeders, and local herbal business actors to absorb aspirations and identify various on-the-ground challenges.
In the dialogue, Zulhas raised several strategic issues, including access to financing, productivity improvement, and strengthening the food supply chain.
According to him, there is still an imbalance in the distribution of financing, where the national credit portion is more absorbed by corporations than by small-scale economic actors.
He emphasised that strengthening the food sector does not only focus on increasing production but also on efficiency and integrated governance from upstream to downstream.
Zulhas stated that the government has promoted various strategic policies to create a more conducive and competitive food business ecosystem, including the issuance of dozens of regulations in the food sector over the past approximately 1.5 years.
“These policies are aimed at improving the welfare of farmers and livestock breeders as the main actors in the national food system,” he said.
In addition to dialogues, the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs also directly inspected the livestock pens and production facilities at BBH Farm, which applies an integrated livestock business model with the agriculture and processing sectors.
This model is considered capable of supporting the provision of protein sources while strengthening linkages between food sub-sectors, thereby creating added value for local business actors.
The involvement of herbal business actors in the event is also deemed important as part of efforts to promote diversification of products based on local raw materials that have higher economic value.
Zulhas reaffirmed his commitment to continue coordinating various stakeholders to strengthen national food security through sustainable synergy.