Makan Siang Gratis (MBG) program in Indonesia represents a significant opportunity for promoting the consumption of local food. While it’s primary goal is to minimize child malnutrition, it has the potential to support food sovereignty by addressing both immediate nutritional needs and long-term food system sustainability. Food sovereignty is the right of people to access nutritious, culturally appropriate food that is produced through sustainable methods. The program may achieve this endeavor by sourcing ingredients for the lunches locally and promotion local foods within the meals.
In early 2025, Indonesia launched an ambitious Free Nutritious Meal program aimed at combating malnutrition and stunting among its population (The Jakarta Post, 2024). The initiative targets nearly 90 million children and pregnant women, with the goal of providing free school lunches and milk to 83 million students across 400,000 schools. The program is projected to cost approximately $28 billion over five years, with an initial budget of 71 trillion rupiah ($4.3 billion) allocated for 2025 (The Jakarta Post, 2024). The meals are designed to include essential nutrients, featuring rice, protein, vegetables, and fruit. However, due to budget constraints, each meal is limited to a cost of 10,000 rupiah and milk is provided only in regions with local dairy farms to support domestic production (The Australian, 2025).
Despite the program’s noble objectives, it has faced criticism and sparked protests. Students have expressed concerns over significant budget cuts to education and other sectors, arguing that these reductions could undermine the quality of education and essential services (Financial Times, 2025). The Indonesian government maintains that the Free Nutritious Meal program is a strategic move to address child malnutrition and stimulate economic growth at the regional level (Reuters, 2025). However, the initiative’s sustainability and impact remain subjects of ongoing debate, with critics questioning its long-term viability and the potential trade-offs with other critical areas such as education.
Malnutrition in children in Indonesia has severe and long-lasting effects on both their physical and cognitive development (Soma, Azhar and Uchiyama, 2024). Indonesia faces a high prevalence of stunting, where children are shorter than the average for their age due to chronic undernutrition. This condition not only affects a child’s growth but also their ability to learn, as malnutrition can impair brain development, leading to cognitive delays and learning difficulties (De Silva and Sumarto, 2018).
Malnourished children are also more vulnerable to infections, as their weakened immune systems struggle to fight off diseases, leading to higher rates of morbidity and mortality. The long-term impact of malnutrition can perpetuate the cycle of poverty, as affected children are less likely to succeed academically and later in the workforce. Addressing malnutrition is crucial for breaking this cycle and ensuring that children in Indonesia can grow into healthy, productive adults.
By prioritizing locally grown foods, the program can create a reliable market for small-scale farmers and local producers, helping to stimulate local agricultural economies (Nasrudin et al., 2024). This can reduce the dependency on imported, often processed foods, which are less nutritious and less sustainable. Furthermore, sourcing ingredients locally strengthens the regional food supply chains, which is essential for improving food security and reducing vulnerability to global market fluctuations or supply chain disruptions price volatility, environmental crises, and political instability.
According to the Jakarta Post, the defense minister warned that the program could “worsen the external balance of payments for the country, which is already a major importer of rice, wheat, soybeans, beef and dairy products”(The Jakarta Post, 2024). This is why it is critical to source locally. In the long term, this helps build a more resilient food system that aligns with the principles of food sovereignty. To maximize the program’s impact, it will be crucial to develop infrastructure that facilitates direct connections between schools and local food producers. This can contribute to greater resilience in Indonesia’s food system and empower local communities to take charge of their own food production and distribution.
The MBG program also has the potential to revitalize traditional agricultural knowledge and practices. Indonesia’s diverse cultural heritage includes centuries of agricultural wisdom, with many communities relying on indigenous farming techniques that are ecologically sustainable. By incorporating locally grown, traditional crops into school meals, the program helps preserve and promote these food systems.
For instance, local foods like cassava, sago and sweet potatoes, could be more widely promoted through the program (Soma, Azhar and Uchiyama, 2024). The defense minister said “there [are] other sources more suited to fulfilling protein and mineral content needs than milk, such as eggs and fish. We’ll have to adapt our plans to the different typologies and conditions of each region. We can’t have a one-size-fits-all solution for all of Indonesia” (The Jakarta Post, 2024). This approach not only provides culturally appropriate nutrition but also supports sustainable agriculture by encouraging farming practices that work in harmony with the environment.
Additionally, the MBG program has the capacity to play a vital role in increasing awareness about nutrition and healthy eating habits, particularly among children (Septiani, 2024). By offering nutritious meals in schools, the program educates the younger generation about the importance of healthy food choices. The government should partner this program with an increase in healthy eating literacy and education while in school (Septiani, 2024). This education can extend beyond the schools, as children often take knowledge from the program back to their families, potentially influencing household food purchasing and eating behaviors. Over time, this creates a broader cultural shift toward healthier, more sustainable eating practices.
Despite the desire to source food locally, logistical and infrastructure challenges often complicate the process. For instance, transportation, storage facilities, and food distribution networks might not always be optimized for local sourcing, especially in remote or rural areas. In some regions, local farmers may not be able to meet the volume or regularity required by the program, making it difficult to fully rely on local sourcing. The success of local sourcing depends on how well the government or implementing organizations collaborate with local farmers and agricultural cooperatives. Some regions might have stronger institutional support to ensure that local producers are integrated into the supply chain, while others might still depend on external suppliers, particularly for ingredients that are not locally available or are out of season.
While some areas may not be able to source every ingredient locally, the program could still focus on using regionally grown foods that are culturally appropriate. This would be a step toward supporting local farmers and promoting regional food systems, even if it doesn’t represent a fully localized supply chain. The MBG program should also consider pursuing sustainability goals such as fostering food sovereignty by prioritizing local, organic, and ecologically sound farming practices. Ideally, the program would evolve in ways that increasingly emphasize local sourcing as part of a broader strategy for strengthening food security, reducing carbon footprints, and supporting local economies.
In conclusion, the Makan Siang Gratis program in Indonesia presents a valuable opportunity for advancing food sovereignty by promoting local sourcing, supporting traditional farming practices, and encouraging sustainable food systems. Through such initiatives, Indonesia can work toward creating a more resilient and self-sufficient food system that not only meets the nutritional needs of its population but also empowers local communities and preserves cultural food practices for future generations.
Ditulish Oleh: Amanda Longhurst – ACICIS Interns
Bibliography
De Silva, I. and Sumarto, S. (2018) ‘Child Malnutrition in Indonesia: Can Education, Sanitation and Healthcare Augment the Role of Income?’, Journal of International Development, 30(5), pp. 837-864.
Nasrudin, Perceka, A. L., Maharani, D., Sari, A. R., Harahap, I. M. and Berutu, E. P. (2024) ‘Analysis of Free Lunch Policy In Indonesia: Comperative Study of Free Lunch Policies in Developed Countries’, Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(2), pp. e03191.
Septiani, M. (2024) ‘THE EFFECT OF NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM TO INCREASEAWARENESS ABOUT OBESITY PREVENTION AT SANGKHOM ISLAMWITTAYA SCHOOL THAILAND’, International Journal of Community Services.
Soma, R. I., Azhar, A. and Uchiyama, T. (2024) ‘Food preferences in Indonesian schoolchildren and the parents’ perspectives on the upcoming nutritious free meal program’, E3S Web of Conferences, 577, pp. 02004.
The Jakarta Post (2024) Prabowo rebrands ‘free lunch’ program: The Jakarta Post. Available at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/05/24/prabowo-rebrands-free-lunch-program.html.
FT (2025). Students stage ‘Dark Indonesia’ protests as Prabowo Subianto’s spending cuts hit education. [online] Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/288c3985-8986-4932-a2fe-a0cdd6d1e51b [Accessed 26 February 2025].
Reuters (2025). Students lead ‘Dark Indonesia’ protests against budget cuts. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/students-lead-dark-indonesia-protests-against-budget-cuts-2025-02-20 [Accessed 26 February 2025].
The Australian (2025). Prabowo’s ambitious plan to tackle malnutrition. [online] Available at: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/indonesias-ambitious-plan-to-tackle-malnutrition/news-story/6282e5dafdbf6d09ba1be6085a5bcfff [Accessed 26 February 2025].
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