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Editorial: When 240 Million Mouths Need Feeding
February 08, 2012

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DrDez
2:17pm Feb 9, 2012

Re Rice - only the other day we announced a giant SEO that will generate another 300,000 t per year... Ok with a growing population of 5m pa - that will go into overdraft 2 years before it reaches fruition


DrDez
2:15pm Feb 9, 2012

SJ - all the cash in the world wont help when there isnt enough... I think thats the point. Sure money will help short term for a few but not the people you refer to

Valkyrie
2:09pm Feb 9, 2012

serenityjam...

Apart from what was commented by 'enakajah,' I would like you to do a little homework on how many families in Indonesia an afford to eat meat more than five times a year.

Rice is their staple food and they eat it a lot.Why? I believe you know the reason.

enakajah
1:43pm Feb 9, 2012

Indonesia is still not self sufficient in Rice and a variety of other products. If the security to import the balance needed is not provided people will starve. Similarly Indonesia exports agricultural products to countries that need the products to insure their food security. If this stops people react and riots ensue.

Indonesia as this article points out has both the land and the resources to insure that the country can feed itself and assist those that cannot. Just as Indonesia needs others to fill the gaps.

Planning is required for food production not necessarily diet change nor job creation. Those two items go hand in hand with food security by default.


enakajah
1:39pm Feb 9, 2012

Serenityjam, with all due respect, I think you fail to understand the concept of food security Your quote - "When the family has a steady source of income, that family will not go hungry." Unfortunately if there is not enough food produced it does not matter how much money you have you will still go hungry.

As to your comment on changing diet.... Rice is one of the most eaten staples on the planet. It is the staple of a huge majority of people and provides an endless source of nutrition. Noodles in Indonesia and predominantly made from Imported wheat flour so trying to change these items from the diet is really not practical.

The ocean's wealth is being depleted through over fishing, and livestock resources rely heavily on agricultural products.

Food security is about insuring the amount of food available across the board for those with and without wealth. It is about planning the use of available resources to insure that there is ample food for domestic consumption and for export

Indonesia has ample land on which to grow food, but as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday, that alone will not ensure the nation’s food security.

In a world where the population has crossed the 7 billion mark, the fast-growing populace will put enormous strain on all forms of resources, including land and water, the prerequisites for growing food crops. At the same time, environmental concerns have made the preservation of forest land a high priority.

With a population of 240 million people and some of the world’s most lush tropical forests, Indonesia faces the challenge of weighing the need to feed its people against the preservation of its natural heritage, to a degree more acute than most other nations. But if it chooses the right path, it can be a role model for others.

Addressing a Food Security Summit on Tuesday, the president said that in a bid to strengthen the country’s food security, the government will prioritize pro-people programs , such as the provision of rice assistance for the poor as well as assistance in health and education for them.

He also said that technology will need to play a more critical role in increasing food production efficiencies, as the country cannot rely on an expansion of arable lands, given environmental and sustainability concerns. We strongly support this call, as it will be central to securing the nation’s future.

In order to raise food productivity, the country must invest in research and development, in particular in higher yielding grains and other food crops. The government must work with the private sector on this front, as neither side will be able to achieve results on its own.

Ensuring a sufficient food supply and maintaining price stability will be critical for social stability and continued economic growth. Food security will be a global challenge for all nations, but those that can best meet this challenge will have an advantage.

Indonesia has the natural endowments necessary for food supply self-sufficiency. But realizing that potential will require careful planning and a strong will to implement the measures needed. Indonesia can be among the nations that play a leadership role on this issue.