Leading the Indonesian delegation, Nini Hendiarti, Deputy for Coordination of Food Accessibility and Security at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, emphasized the critical role of responsible water management in ensuring food security, speaking on behalf of Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan.
“This forum highlights that food security and water security are inseparable,” she stated in a press release received in Jakarta on Monday.
Indonesia raised the issue during the 18th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference, which concluded the GFFA 2026 on Friday (Jan. 16) under the theme “Water. Harvests. Our Future.”
The conference addressed the growing threat of a global water crisis to the world’s food systems.
“Water unites us, energy drives innovation, and a sustainable food system provides nutrition while protecting the planet,” Hendiarti remarked at the event, which gathered 61 agriculture ministers from across the globe.
She stressed that prudent water resource management is especially vital for countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Her remarks echoed the GFFA 2026 consensus, which calls for strengthening the agricultural sector’s role in shaping international water-related policies and advancing innovations in water infrastructure.
Hendiarti also reaffirmed Indonesia’s ongoing initiatives to modernize irrigation systems and adopt new technologies to support the nation’s rice self-sufficiency program.
She noted that this year’s GFFA created valuable momentum for thousands of experts from diverse fields to build a global consensus on integrated water resource management, aimed at ensuring fair and equitable access to food worldwide.
Beyond the ministerial conference, Indonesia also held bilateral meetings with agriculture ministers from Germany, Poland, Brazil, Fiji, and Uzbekistan.
The delegation further engaged in discussions with representatives of the United Nations, international organizations, and private companies.
According to the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, these talks focused on strengthening cooperation in marine waste management and exploring new opportunities for collaboration in the food and agriculture sectors.
Translator: Aria A, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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