Indonesia has launched a transformative free meal program designed to combat malnutrition and support underprivileged communities.
Championed by President Prabowo Subianto, the initiative aims to provide nutritious meals to almost 83 million Indonesians by 2029, focusing initially on school children and pregnant women.
However, logistical challenges, budgetary constraints and feedback from beneficiaries and experts highlight the complexities of implementing such a large-scale program.
Half a million meals delivered on day one
The program began this week, with 570,000 meals distributed on its first day.
Among the first in line was high school student Mutiara Khairunnisa from Jakarta.
"The program is beneficial for me as I don't have to pack lunch anymore, and the meal is healthy," Ms Khairunnisa told the ABC.
"It's also a good initiative as it aims to help children who lack nutrients."
Ms Khairunnisa praised the variety of meals offered, which included chicken, fish, and tofu, but noted areas for improvement.
"Honestly, sometimes the vegetables, for example, the stir-fried green beans, are no longer fresh when served," she said.
"And I think the muddy scent in the fish is very strong, especially when cooked as a healthy food — they didn't put MSG [in]."
Catharina Yenny Indratno, the principal of an elementary school in East Jakarta, said there had been a positive response from families and students.
"Our children don't really bring their own food from home. Their parents come from mid-low income so their pocket money is small," she said.
"With this program, it's very good because they'll have enough nutrients."
Parents also welcomed the program and said it reduced their daily burdens.
"Thank God, this helps us," said Hana Yohana, a parent of a first-grade student in West Jakarta.
Concerns over food quality
Community nutritionist Tan Shot Yen said it was important to tailor the initiative to regional dietary habits.
"Staple food doesn't have to be rice. Children in Papua don't eat rice. It wouldn't make any sense to have a rice field there [for this program]," she explained, suggesting alternatives such as sago, papaya, or bananas for different regions.
Dr Yen also expressed concern about the quality of food that might be provided under budget constraints.
With the allocated cost per meal reduced from $2.40 to $1.60, she stressed the need for sourcing ingredients from local farmers to support regional economies and ensure freshness.
"Imagine our children getting chicken nuggets in their diet as a result of us working together with industries to get cheaper food," Dr Yen said.
"If we rely on sponsors and provide low-quality food, there's no point."
While innovations such as fish milk and Moringa-enriched meals have been proposed to address nutrition gaps, Dr Yen cautioned against over reliance on these alternatives.
"Moringa is often seen as a superfood but only when extracted. You're not giving Moringa capsules to schoolchildren — you are only serving them Moringa soup as a dish which, if too much, could possess another issue," she said, warning that Moringa could decrease the absorption of nutrients.
Financially viability a hurdle
Public policy analyst Agus Pambagio said he supported the program but it had not been thought out.
"I worry because there is no precise plan," he said.
"I don't think it's going to be sustainable. So many institutions should be involved, so many areas that should be targeted, [there's a] lack of human resources, the limited budget and so on."
The program has a projected cost of $45 billion over five years, which critics argue could strain Indonesia's fiscal health.
But Mr Prabowo defended the initiative as a strategic investment to reduce child malnutrition and stimulate economic growth in rural areas.
He said the program was essential to fight the stunting of growth that afflicted 21.5 per cent of children under five, and he said it could be delivered with fiscal prudence.
Childhood stunting, partly caused by poor nutrition, in Indonesia remains at levels comparable to sub-Saharan African countries.
To allay budget concerns, Mr Prabowo has limited the first year's expenditure to 71 trillion rupiah ($7 billion) so as to keep the annual fiscal deficit under a legislated ceiling of 3 per cent of GDP.
But Eliza Mardian, an economist with think tank the Center of Reform on Economics, said that might not be enough, particularly as milk, which Indonesia imports, is expensive.
"With our tight fiscal condition, there is potential for budget swelling and this will lead to additional debt," Ms Mardian said.
"This will be a fiscal burden for us going forward."
If the program required more imports of food, she warned it could also worsen the external balance of payments for Indonesia, already a major importer of wheat, rice, soybeans, beef and dairy products.
On the other hand, Mr Prabowo called the program one of the main drivers of economic growth, saying it would eventually add an estimated 2.5 million jobs and spur demand for local produce.
Mr Prabowo has pledged to accelerate GDP growth in his country from the current 5 per cent to 8 per cent.
As the project scales up, the government plans to integrate nearly 2,000 cooperatives and involve local farmers to source eggs, vegetables, rice, fish, and meat.
Dr Yen stressed the importance of treating the program as a long-term initiative with thorough planning and evaluation.
"It has to be taken seriously, and trials shouldn't be done in big cities because it doesn't reflect the Indonesian children's demography," she said.
ABC/Reuters
