Realizing Food Self-Sufficiency

Food self-sufficiency is one of the manifestations of the nation’s independence to strengthen the country’s defense and security system, which is one of the items of Astacita as the President’s mission for 2025-2029. Achieving self-sufficiency in food, energy and water is one of the president’s priority programs among 17 other programs. Efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency are supported by the program of quick wins, opening new rice fields and increasing agricultural land productivity. Challenges in increasing production to achieve food self-sufficiency that require technological innovation include production stagnation, negative impacts of climate change, and land degradation. The low welfare of farmers hinders the regeneration of farmers so that the proportion of aging farmers is increasing, the cultivation of narrow land (<0.5 ha), which requires institutional support to realize food self-sufficiency. Propaktani episode 1200 organized by APPERTANI discussed the topic: Realizing Food Self-Sufficiency, according to the Astacita of the Red and White Cabinet. As the moderator of this webinar episode was Prof. Dr. Ir. Irsal Las, M.S., Chairman and APPERTANI Expert Team in the Field of Agroclimate, Land Resources and Environment Policy.

Prof. Dr. Soemarno, M.Sc., APPERTANI Food Crop Breeding Expert, delivered the topic: “Sustainable Green Revolution Technology to Maximize Rice Production to Support Rice Self-Sufficiency“. The Green Revolution Technology (GRT) of rice, which relies on superior varieties with short stems, many tillers, responsiveness of high doses of Nitrogen fertilizer, early maturity, and high grain yield, has succeeded in increasing national rice production by 300% from 7-8 million tons (in 1960) to 30-31 million tons (in the 2000s). The positive impact of food sufficiency is more guaranteed, rice prices are affordable, hunger pangolin and berries disappear. Some criticisms of the adoption of GRT, the sustainability of rice production is threatened, rice paddy land is damaged because farmers abandon organic fertilizers. Farmers’ dependence on means from outside farming (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides/herbicides) causes expensive production costs and farmers’ dependence on cash. Sustainable GRT is recommended to reduce the negative impact of GRT so that rice production is sustainable, including by providing organic materials, crop rotation with crops, returning straw waste, variety rotation every 3-4 years, and the wise use of pesticides and herbicides when necessary.

Prof. Dr. Ir. Hasil Sembiring, M.Sc., Expert in Hydrology and Soil Sciences APPERTANI/BRIN delivered material with the topic: “Strategies for Realizing Rice Self-Sufficiency“. Domestic rice production has decreased to the point where the condition between production and demand is the same in 2023, so 3.5 million tons of rice are imported to avoid rice price volatility. In 2024 and the 2025 production plan, production is expected to exceed 1-2 million tons of needs. Indonesia has various agroecosystems for rice cultivation, namely  irrigated, rainfed, dryland, deep water and tidal swamp land. The Red and White Cabinet has announced an increase in production to achieve self-sufficiency in 2027, in the following year it can be exported and at the end of the period in 2029 it will be achieved as a food barn. The production increase strategy that will be carried out includes: 1) increasing the harvest area with environmentally friendly technology; 2) increased efficient productivity; 3) suppressing yield loss and improving efficiency; and 4) decrease in consumption per capita as well as food diversification. The strategy for increasing production requires the commitment of all stakeholders from the highest leaders to the lowest staffs. Other things that need to be considered are the welfare of farmers, better environmental conditions and nutritious food production.

Prof. Dr. Ir. Achmad Suryana, M.S., APPERTANI Expert Team in the Field of Food and Agricultural Policy who is also Professor of Economics at Ibnu Khaldun University, Bogor, delivered material with the topic: “Institutional Support to Realize Food Self-Sufficiency“. Since Indonesia’s independence, every government has placed the achievement of food self-sufficiency as one of the main priorities of national development goals. Food self-sufficiency is an effort to meet all the food needs of the community from domestic production. Food self-sufficiency can be divided into all the time i.e. at any time and in each region the food needs of the community are met by domestic production. While self-sufficiency on trend means that food needs in a certain period (e.g. 1 year) are fully met with domestic production, but there is a period (e.g. during famine or crop failure) to fulfill food from outside. The definition of food is different according to Law No. 18/2012 which is very broad for everything derived from biological resources, while Presidential Regulation No. 66/2021 concerns several types of commodities.  Rice is a strategic staple food because it greatly affects social, economic and political conditions. Food self-sufficiency based on the food law is very difficult to realize, but food self-sufficiency in accordance with presidential decree  is very likely to be realized. Meanwhile, rice self-sufficiency should be achievable. Food systems in achieving self-sufficiency include availability, affordability, utilization and stability. The provision of food from domestic production can be obtained from increasing harvest area and productivity as well as accelerating the reduction of food loss. Challenges to increase sustainable food production include: 1) narrow land cultivation, 2) negative impacts of climate change, 3) competition in the use and degradation of natural resources, 4) biodiversity loss, 5) pandemics and smooth supply chains. Small-scale farmers who are engaged in food production have a central role. Empowering farmers through institutional engineering to ensure the improvement of sustainable food production, farmer welfare, national food self-sufficiency, and national security.