COMMENTARY 13.02.2012

Food is a basic human need that must be met. Therefore, Indonesia needs to form a food authority to regulate the issue of national food availability. It is hard to create a national food sovereignty and independence in the near future if the government just relies on the Ministry of Agriculture. It is necessary to accelerate the upstream development of food industry. Because this will not only increase production and employment, but it also means an increase in the economy and foreign exchange.

The acceleration must be done because the need for food continues to rise every year in line with the increase of population. UN Food and Agriculture Organization have declared the world's population now exceeded 7 billion. It is estimated that in 2045 it will increase to 9 billion people. Indonesia is now facing the same conditions with its population continues to rise. To offset the demand for food, food policy compliance should be immediately realized by all parties concerned. If not, it is not impossible that food crisis will actually become reality. Indonesia which is supported by favorable climate and abundant natural resources shouldn't have much problem in meeting its food needs. Even to become the world's food basket. However, this must be done by empowering the expansion of agricultural lands utilizing abandoned land and unproductive forest. Thus there will be additional productive agricultural land to create an increase in food availability.

Indeed, to realize food sovereignty is complicated. It takes adequate infrastructure and cooperation of all parties. Infrastructure development should also be synergized between the central and local governments. There should be cooperation between the government and the private sector, and synchronization policies with related company or investor. Without the synergy of all parties it will be difficult to achieve food sovereignty. However, if there is good will and cooperation, Indonesia surely will  be able to increase food supply and restore the glory of Indonesia in the era of the 80s, as a rice exporting country. Hopefully the government can pay more attention and increase food production. Thus, amid world food crisis, the national food sovereignty can still be realized.///trans art