Realizing Food Security, Badanas Invites Industry To Optimize Local Food Potential

Illustration (Photo: Doc Badanas)

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (NFA) continues to encourage the food industry to raise local food potential. This step is to realize food independence based on local resources.

Deputy for Food Consumption and Safety Diversity, NFA Andriko Noto Susanto, said that one of the local foods that can be brought down is sago.

This was conveyed during a visit to the sago processing factory PT Galih Sago Pangan in Tangerang, Banten.

During his visit, Andriko emphasized that it was time for local food to be appointed and used as an integral part of national food security.

"We have a lot of local food potentials such as sago that have not been optimized. In accordance with the mandate of the Food Law, it is time for us to use this resource to support national food independence," he said in an official statement, Friday, July 12.

Andriko emphasized the importance of lifting local food in accordance with the mandate of the Food Law Number 18 of 2012.

Based on the data, he continued, for the last ten years Indonesia has experienced a shift in consumption patterns that are increasingly uniform.

"This has a risk if there is a food vulnerability, so it needs to be anticipated. Food diversification is very important to realize food independence based on local resources. It is time for us to raise local food such as sago which has great potential," he said.

Andriko said that Bapanas is committed to making local food as part of the Government's Food Reserve (CCP) and Regional Government Food Reserves (CPPD) in addition to rice, in accordance with the potential of each region.

"With the synergy between food stakeholders, both from the government, the private sector, and the community, we can optimize the local potential of each region to increase national food security," said Andriko.

Meanwhile, NFA Head Arief Prasetyo Adi stated that food diversification is a strategic step to reduce dependence on one type of food such as rice.

Food diversification is not only important for food security, but also for public health. Local foods such as sago, corn, and tubers have high nutritional value and can be a healthy alternative, "explained Arief.

According to Arief, local food development such as sago not only increases food security but also strengthens the regional economy.

"The National Food Agency is committed to continuing to encourage the use of local food in national food security programs," said Arief.

For your information, PT Galih Sago Pangan itself has produced sago rice from 2018.

The orientation of this Small and Medium Industry (IKM) is to make sago rice an alternative to local food security for the community throughout the archipelago and abroad.

There are various types of products produced from sago preparations such as snacks and sago noodles, as well as superior products, namely sago rice.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), national sago production in 2022 will reach 367,132 tons, with Riau as the largest producing province that accounts for 274,807 tons.

This sago production shows the great potential for alternative foods besides rice, starting from restoring the habit of sago consumption as staple foods such as in Papua, Maluku, or other eastern regions.