Indonesia Faces Various Challenges To Achieve Food Sovereignty, Korea Holds Back

Deputy Ambassador of South Korea Park Soo-Dook. (IST)

JAKARTA The Indonesian government's desire to pursue food self-sufficiency is faced with a number of challenges that are not easy. These challenges include an increase in the population by 1.1% per year, stagnant food production has even decreased in the 2019-2024 period by 1.1%.

In addition, in 2023 there is also a dependence on rice imports of 3.1 million tons. Another challenge is land quality degradation where 89.5% of the land is not sustainable. Not to mention the age of the aging farmers, of which 70% of farmers are over 43 years old.

The low level of farmers' welfare and climate change that disrupts the planting and harvesting process are also serious inhibition matters.

This was said by the Deputy for Administration and Distribution of the Ministry of Food Coordinator, Tatang Yuliono, when speaking at an international seminar themed "Improving Indonesia-Korea Relationship in Prabowo Administration from Food Sovereignty to Good Neighbor" held by the Indonesian Cyber Media Network (JMSI) at the Press Council Hall, Jalan Kebon Sirih, Jakarta, Tuesday, November 26, 2024.

This discussion was held with the consideration that the two key words of Prabowo Subianto's government policy have close ties to each other. Food sovereignty makes Indonesia have the maximum ability to play foreign politics freely and at the same time become a good neighbor.

Another challenge faced by Indonesia is food waste (food waste). According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report entitled Food Waste Index 2021, the total food waste in Indonesia reaches 20.93 million tons per year. This value occupies the fourth largest position after China, India, and Nigeria," explained Tatang Yuliono.

He added that President Prabowo Subianto was aware of these various challenges and therefore in his inauguration speech emphasized that Indonesia must achieve self-sufficiency in energy, water and food within the next four years.

"For this reason, the government has formed a Coordinating Ministry for Food. This ministry coordinates four Ministries, namely the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and two agencies, namely the National Food Agency and the National Nutrition Agency, as well as other institutions needed," he said again.

Furthermore, Tatang Yuliono said, the government's main target is to increase the food security index from 76.20 (2024) to 80.72 (2029), and reduce the prevalence of insufficient food consumption from 7.21% (2024) to 4.41% (2029), as well as increase food production and reduce food imports for rice, corn, soy and sugar commodities.

South Korean Hand Uluran

Meanwhile, South Korean Deputy Ambassador Park Soo-Dook said that his party is ready to develop cooperation in the agricultural sector to support Indonesia's food self-sufficiency targets. The two countries, he said, have established so many collaborations in various fields, economic politics, education, culture, and people to people contact since diplomatic relations began in the 1970s.

He continued, in the last 20 years the two countries have recorded a significant increase in relations. Two decades ago, the trade volume of the two countries was less than 10 billion US dollars. Meanwhile, last year, the trade volume of the two countries was recorded at more than 20 billion US dollars.

Last year, more than 300 thousand Indonesians visited Korea, and more than 200 thousand Koreans visited Indonesia. Korean companies invited a secretary of 10 thousand Indonesian workers and no less than 2,000 Indonesian students demanded knowledge in Korea.

Hyungjun Noh from Korea Program for International Cooperation in Agricultural (KOPIA) located at the Korean Village Development Agency offers cooperation to help productivity in the agricultural sector in Indonesia.

In his presentation, Noh gave an example of the cooperation that has been carried out by KOPIA in various countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Last August Noh visited Indonesia to see closely the problems faced by the Indonesian agricultural sector.

The problems include a 50 percent decrease in fertilizer volume, the inability of around 17-20% of farmers to access Farmer Cards, a very low decline in seed quality, mechanization and automation, and irritation which is also less than 50 percent must be improved. Weather factors such as El Nino also interfere with the planting season and harvest season. In addition, the number of Field Counseling Officers (PPL) can only help 50% of farmers and farmer groups.

Noh believes that cooperation within the framework of KOPIA can help Indonesia significantly increase the productivity of agricultural land, including helping the realization of a rice field printing program covering an area of 3 million hectares.

The Deputy for Maritime Affairs and Natural Resources of the Ministry of National Development Planning, Vivi Yulawati, said that Indonesia also set a target in 2045 to have a competitive, innovative, and resilient agricultural sector that provides feasible and feasible job opportunities for farmers and other agricultural workers. The agricultural sector at that time was also expected to support a dynamic agrifood system that provides a healthy diet for everyone, and improves environmental sustainability.

To achieve this target, a strong food system and governance is needed at the regional and local levels, diversity in production and consumption, as well as food system logistics, healthy diets form a variety of foods, and a decentralized planning and decision-making process.

Vivi also expressed his belief that cooperation with South Korea could encourage the various steps needed to achieve the food self-sufficiency target.