A recent report from The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) shows that 43.5 percent of Indonesians cannot afford healthy food. The report cites limited access and high prices as the main barriers to meeting daily nutritional needs.
Responding to these findings, Professor of Food Technology at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Sri Raharjo, acknowledged that nutritious food in Indonesia remains relatively expensive.
“If we look at plant-based and animal-based protein sources, the daily cost can reach around 40,000 rupiah. Based on the standard benchmark, that is approximately 2.5 US dollars per day, or slightly above 40,000 rupiah,” he said on Monday (Nov. 10).
He explained that each individual ideally needs 2,150 kilocalories per day, divided across three meals. This intake should consist of carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and vitamins.
However, many Indonesians are unable to meet all of these components, particularly animal-based protein, which tends to be more costly.
“Most of the calorie intake relies heavily on carbohydrates. Protein intake is relatively limited. Foods rich in protein, especially animal protein, are more expensive,” the expert noted.
Professor Raharjo estimated that the monthly cost for one adult to meet all nutritional requirements may reach 1.2 million rupiah. For a family of four, this amount could rise to as much as 5 million rupiah.
“Now, how many households or heads of families earn at least twice that amount? If we use that benchmark, it seems that households earning at least 10 million rupiah per month represent less than 30 percent of Indonesia’s population,” he explained.
Based on these facts, Professor Raharjo emphasized that high food prices are the main reason many Indonesians struggle to consume healthy meals.
According to him, the high cost stems from limited domestic production, which is insufficient to meet demand and must therefore be supplemented through imports.
Foods such as meat, milk, and corn are among the commodities imported, with nearly 80 percent of milk, an important protein source, sourced from abroad. Prices of imported goods are influenced by global markets.
“Prices in global markets tend to rise because the availability of exportable goods from producing countries is becoming more restricted. Exporting countries prioritize meeting their own domestic food needs first,” the professor explained.
To address this problem, Professor Raharjo highlighted two critical areas that require government action. First, the government must ensure food availability. Second, it must improve consumers’ purchasing power.
“If domestic production capacity is low, imports must supplement supply. Imports cannot simply be reduced or stopped abruptly, as this would put our domestic food supply at risk if imported commodities fall short,” he said.
Author: Salwa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Salma
Illustration: Freepik