The award was presented by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Friday.
"This is an honor for me. Indonesia is aware of the importance of food sovereignty and independence. Food is a basic human need that cannot be postponed or ignored," the president remarked.
According to Jokowi, the state is responsible for realizing food availability and affordability for the community.
The president highlighted that the food security program is indubitably one of the government's priorities since the country is aware of the importance of food sovereignty and independence, especially amid several uncertainties in the world.
Jokowi highlighted that the Indonesian agricultural sector during the COVID-19 pandemic had continued to grow by 1.7 percent and, in 2023, contributed 12.5 percent to the national GDP.
"We also dedicate this Agricola Medal award to all farmers. All parties actively contributed to strengthening the agricultural sector," he remarked.
The president expressed hope that this award would awaken Indonesia's spirit to bring more contribution to world food security.
Meanwhile, Dongyu affirmed that Indonesia had done a remarkable job amid high global geopolitical tensions.
He noted that the award symbolized strong collaboration between the FAO and Indonesia.
Furthermore, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman stated that President Jokowi was the second Indonesian leader to receive this award after the previous award was conferred on President Soeharto on November 10, 1984.
"During President Jokowi's tenure, we can achieve food self-sufficiency without medium rice imports in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021," Sulaiman revealed.
Such achievements motivated the FAO to bestow the award on President Jokowi. He stressed that this success cannot be separated from the role of all parties, including farmers.
"I would like to thank our fellow farmers throughout Indonesia. Hopefully, our food security can be better," he stated.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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