Prabowo: Food Estate Project Must Protect People's Interests

JAKARTA - Minister of Defense (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto stated that the food estate project is one of the government's steps to protect the interests of the people, especially in creating food independence and security in Indonesia.

If there is a problem in the process, said Prabowo, there must be mitigation steps to anticipate the problem.

"It must be mitigated. You have to protect the people. However, when there is a problem, there are consequences, so don't do it," Prabowo said when responding to Najwa Shihab's question in the interview session as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, June 30.

Prabowo said the food barn project is a form of government anticipation of the threat of a food crisis.

The Minister of Defense then explained that 80 million hectares of land were damaged and unproductive, so at that time his party proposed to function these lands to produce food and energy.

"We can get energy from thebiofuel plant and so on. If the land is not used, after all, many forest concessions are given to private companies for commercial purposes. Now, our approach is for the benefit of food and energy, securing the interests of the people," said Prabowo Subianto.

He said the United Nations (UN) and other world institutions predicted countries would face three crises, namely the food crisis, energy crisis, and the clean water crisis.

"So, after we analyzed this time, 3'4 years ago, we saw that in order to secure Indonesia from this crisis we must secure food and energy, one of the absolute ways out isfood estate," said the Minister of Defense.

Along the way, several environmental organizations and civil society organizations showed an impact on the environment and the lives of indigenous peoples as a result of the project. According to Prabowo, these problems also cannot be considered light, and must be resolved.

"We also have to preserve nature and the environment. This is very important," said Prabowo.

Prabowo explained that the central government in the implementation of the food barn project also paid attention to these aspects through directions and instructions from the local government, tribal heads, and heads of local indigenous peoples.

"We will follow this," said the Minister of Defense.

Prabowo also invited all parties to be aware of efforts that hinder the government from creating self-sufficiency or food independence. The reason is, without food independence, Indonesia will be easily dictated and controlled by other countries.

"We must have our own food production. We must not depend on other nations because we want independence. What about an independent country if it cannot feed its people?" said Defense Minister Prabowo.

Therefore, Prabowo said that his party would take steps to realize the national food barn project.

"I am a loyal person. I will not be able to complain and so on. So, I went back to what is positive," he said.