Local Food Diversity is the Foundation of Food Security

The Food Estate Project must be corrected, starting with revising the food pattern indicators to be more based on local food diversity.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Catarina Tombay cooks local food made from sago in Zanegi Village, Animha District, Merauke Regency, Papua, Thursday (10/11/2022).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The program to develop a food estate, which has, instead, caused a food shortage among local communities, such as in Merauke, South Papua, needs to be evaluated. The correction can be started by revising the food pattern indicator, which has so far been biased toward rice, so that it will be based more on local food diversity.

"The diversification of food consumption must be carried out because we know that it is an important element for the fulfillment of a balanced nutrition. At this time we see that Indonesia is dominated by rice and wheat," said deputy chairman for Consumption Diversification and Food Security at the National Food Agency, Andriko Noto Susanto, Tuesday (13/12/2022).

Andriko made such a statement in response to Kompas' findings regarding the food shortage experienced by local communities in Merauke, who were affected by the food estate program.

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A Kompas survey on Marind Anim village in Merauke shows that there has been a transition in diet from traditional foods, such as sago, tubers and wild meat, toward a diet that contains more rice, instant noodles and various processed and ultra-processed foodstuffs. In fact, the consumption of instant noodles has exceeded sago, which was previously their staple food (Kompas, 13/12).

"Law Number 18 of 2012 concerning Food, Article 60 Paragraphs 1 and 2, mandates that diversification of food consumption must be carried out," said Andriko.

However, he acknowledged that the national food policy was still biased towards rice. This is reflected in the Expected Food Pattern (PPH) in Indonesia in which rice accounts for 50 percent, while tubers, including sago, account for only 6 percent. In addition, animal source foods account for 12 percent, oil and fat 10 percent, vegetables 6 percent, nuts 5 percent, sugar 5 percent, fruit 3 percent and others 3 percent.

In the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), the PPH score is an indication of the success of the priority program to increase the availability, access and quality of food consumption. The PPH target score is 92.8 percent in 2022, 94 percent in 2023 and 95.2 in 2024.

"Now the PPH is applied to all of Indonesia, including Merauke, which still has sago and tubers, and must comply with a 50 percent rice adequacy. As a result, PPH targets in Papua and Maluku are always the lowest,” said Andriko.

KOMPAS/AHMAD ARIF

Dorce Gebze (30) children in Zanegi Village, Animha District, Merauke Regency, Papua, ate rice without side dishes which they usually call empty rice, Thursday (10/11/2022).

The rice field opening program, as part of the food estate program, in a number of areas, is part of an effort to achieve the target of fulfilling food adequacy in accordance with the PPH.

Andriko said, in the spirit of the Food Law, PPH targets should be zoned and adjusted to the potential of local resources. According to Andriko, changes to the PPH can only be decided by experts at the National Workshop on Food and Nutrition (WNPG).

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According to Andriko, by changing the PPH target according to the condition of each region, the food fulfillment program will be different. For example for Papua, if sago and tuber production is increased, there will not be a need to open rice fields, but instead encourages the development of sago and tubers.

Professor Dwi Andreas Santosa of IPB University said food diversity should be the key to food sovereignty in Indonesia, because Indonesia is an archipelagic country that has environmental and agro-climatic diversity.

Food estate evaluation

According to Dwi Andreas, the area of paddy fields in Java, which has been the main rice supplier in the country, continues to decline. "So it makes sense if the government plans to open new rice fields in several other areas," he said.

However, seeing the negative impact of the food estate program on the environment and the socio-economic life of local communities such as in Merauke, Dwi Andreas is pushing for a thorough evaluation. "Tens of trillions [ of rupiah] of funds have been disbursed to open rice fields everywhere," he said.

Never open new farming areas, especially by clearing forests.

He suggested that the opening of new paddy fields should be focused on one location. “We use the land that has already been cleared and damaged as well as for rehabilitation. Never open new farming areas, especially by clearing forests," said Dwi Andreas.

Johanes Gluba Gebze, the regent of Merauke for two terms (2000-2010), who first proposed the food estate project in Merauke, also suggested the evaluation of the project. "Don’t use a food estate project as an excuse to clear a forest in Merauke," he said.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.