Known to be the largest archipelagic country in the world with more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is the fourth-largest rice producing country in the world with its staple food production in balance with its own consumption.
Rice constitutes more than half of food crops production and consumption, and plays a major role in Indonesian livelihoods.
Therefore, the next government is expected to be consistent in promoting rice production, together with improving farmers welfare.
When opening a national seminar on food sovereignty, organized by the Gajah Mada University Alumni Association (Kagama) in Jakarta on Sunday, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubono X said the next government will have to undertake an overall reform of the national food policy.
"The food policy reform should start from food security and move towards self-reliance on food, with local content as the basis to achieve real food sovereignty," Kagama general chairman noted.
Further, Sri Sultan added that it was becoming more difficult to realize food sovereignty because food sources have been converted into feed, fuel, and textile fibers.
In addition, he said food, feed, fuel, and fibers were getting more prospective investors in the financial sector, and that will weaken food security and lead to food scarcity.
"If that happens, it will directly affect the farmers and poor communities, and hamper their ability to meet their demand of basic commodities," Sri Sultan said, adding that there should be efforts at all levels of leadership.
He noted that the leaders should not work only behind the table, but also make sure that food security and food sovereignty are achieved in the field.
According to the dean of the agriculture faculty of the Bandung-based Padjadjaran University (Unpad), Drajat Sudrajat, Indonesia is endowed with abundant natural resources but the country is ranked 70th in terms of food security.
"Indonesia has the potential to improve its food security because it has large natural resources, human resources, culture and market," Sudrajat said at a seminar on the role of institutes of higher learning in supporting the national food diversification program in Bandung recently.
He noted that Indonesia still has to work hard to catch up with India, Vietnam and even Singapore, which currently have strong food security.
Chief of the Food Security Board at the Agriculture Ministry Professor Dr. Achmad Suryana shared Drajats views, saying besides abundant natural and human resources, Indonesia also had strong economic performance and food market.
"If all the potential of the country are managed properly, Indonesia will be able to develop its food security so that it is at par with other nations that have strong food security," he said.
Diversification of farm products will also enhance food security, as the country had diverse plant and animal species, he added.
"Among the local food commodities that were developed to support the food diversity program were sago, corn, cassava, sweet potato and sorghum," he remarked.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Rusman Heriawan had said previously the governors, district chiefs, and city mayors should play an important role in national food security because they determine the pace of achieving the food security target.
"Without the complete attention of governors, regents, mayors, among others, the food security program will work slowly," he stated at a food security session for the western part of Indonesia in Bandung recently.
Food security should be viewed from a national perspective. Regions with potential in the agricultural sector must be committed to producing farm commodities to subsidize other regions, which do not have strong agricultural potential.
"We will be proud if a regency or municipality that has farm production surplus subsidizes other regions," he noted.
Not only Indonesia but the rest of the world is also currently facing food problems. In many countries, investment in the agricultural sector is less attractive, he reported.
"FAO has warned of various conflicts if the food problems are not handled seriously," he asserted.
Food problems can be handled at a regional level by creating an institution to build food reserves, he explained.
"Both the regional offices of the state run Board of Logistics (Bulog) and state-owned food companies will assist in the effort," he claimed.
The food sector must also have good production and distribution systems to better address food problems, he reiterated.
Vice President Boediono had said food production in Indonesia in general was in balance with the population growth, but it was barely enough and remained vulnerable.
Therefore, the country is firmly committed to strengthening global efforts to overcome poverty and food insecurity through effective, competent, and reliable global food governance.
Consistent with its international commitments, the Indonesian government has set four major agricultural targets for the next five years in the national level.
The four major agricultural targets are sustaining its self-sufficiency in the production of major food crops, diversifying food production, increasing added value to food production, enhancing competitiveness and boosting exports, and increasing farmers living standards.
In general, the food security in Indonesia had strongly grown, but the vice president said with a possible increase in population growth in the future, food insecurity can haunt the country.
(O001/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
(O001/KR-BSR/B003)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
