Indonesia has just launched a "Free Nutrition Meal" program for 82.9 million students. The program, which will last for 5 years (2025-2029), is worth 28 billion USD, aiming to address child stunting and increase income for farmers.
Improve nutrition
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that one in 12 Indonesian children under the age of five is severely malnourished. One in five is stunted. The Indonesian government recognizes the importance of improving child nutrition, as undernourishment and malnutrition can affect a child's physical and mental development, which in turn affects the nation's future.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, during his 2024 election campaign, pledged to work to address the problem of stunting that affects 21.5% of children under the age of five in the country.
Since January 6, 2025, Indonesia has implemented free child feeding programs to support low-income families and improve children's nutritional status. One of the prominent initiatives is the School Feeding Program, which is implemented in many regions of Indonesia.
At least 5,000 kitchens have been built across the country, helping to improve children’s health and support the sale of farm produce. The program focuses on providing free school meals to children, especially those in rural and poor areas.
The program aims to reduce malnutrition and improve student health, while also motivating children to continue their education. Indonesia also implements nutrition support programs for children in disadvantaged areas, including providing supplementary foods and nutritious meals in schools or in the community.
The program also encourages children to attend school and improve their academic performance. The program is part of the national youth development strategy to achieve the "Golden Indonesia" generation, turning Indonesia into an advanced and prosperous country by 2045.
On January 30, 2025, the country's Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati signed the supplementary budget for the Free Nutrition Meal Program (MBG) from the first year 2025. It is estimated that this amount will be used to purchase 6.7 million tons of rice; 1.2 million tons of chicken; 500,000 tons of beef; 1 million tons of fish, vegetables and fruits; 4 billion liters of milk. At least 5,000 kitchens will be built across the country.
According to Mr. Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the Indonesian Government's goal is to have 17 million people benefiting from the program by the end of 2025 and increase this number to nearly 83 million people by 2029. Indonesia's total population is about 282 million people.
Indonesian students enjoy free meals
The program, which initially targeted preschoolers and schoolchildren, was later expanded to include pregnant women, nursing mothers and toddlers, costing up to $30 billion a year and putting a strain on Indonesia’s budget.
Budget Optimization
The Indonesian government has decided to implement budget efficiency to optimize the allocation of state expenditure, to ensure the effective use of state budget for the public good.
The Financial System Stability Committee, which includes the Financial Services Authority and Bank Indonesia, has been tasked with encouraging financial institutions to support the program. Financial institutions are expected to facilitate access to credit for participating companies to support MBG's operations.
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and relevant ministries and organizations will coordinate to continue to adjust programs to ensure the implementation of MBG's goals.
Indonesia has just launched a Free Nutrition Meal program for 82.9 million students.
In addition to government initiatives, there is also the involvement of non-governmental organizations and international organizations, such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), to support and promote nutrition programs in Indonesia.
China has pledged free nutritional meals but has not committed a specific amount of money. The United States is providing training to Indonesian dairy farmers to support the program.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed his wish to support the free nutritional meal program - one of the top priority projects of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Accordingly, Japan will provide training on providing lunch for children, send experts and support the improvement of Indonesia's fisheries and agriculture sectors by applying Japanese experiences.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hopes that this support measure will help President Prabowo Subianto successfully implement this program, contributing to overcoming the problem of malnutrition in Indonesian children.
India has reaffirmed its support for the programme by sharing the experiences of the Food Corporation of India and other Indian organisations with Indonesian officials.
"India shares its experience in the areas of health and food security, including the free lunch programme and public service delivery system with the Indonesian government," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
On the sidelines of the recent G20 Leaders' Summit, France and Brazil also expressed their support for Indonesia's program.
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered an Indonesian delegation to visit Brazil to learn from the South American country’s similar program. France, which has a school feeding program, intends to share its experience and help Indonesia modernize its agricultural sector.
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/hon-80-trieu-hoc-sinh-indonesia-duoc-dung-bua-an-mien-phi-20250221160238184.htm
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