What is this "thing" called tempe. No, it's not the big Tempe in Arizona where I live. It is something that is so dearly familiar to almost each and every Indonesian.

For me tempe also has a very sentimental meaning. My childhood and teenager years in Dayeuhkolot, Bandung, were filled with tempe and tahu (tofu).

My parents were too poor to have meat every day but my mom wanted her children to get enough protein so she put tempe and tahu on our table every day. Yes, every day.

She would buy 10 pieces of tahu and one piece of tempe divided into 10.

Each of us would get one piece of each, and dad would get two of each.

Apparently mom believed that protein was highly important to boost the intelligence of her children. Despite whatever the truth may be, even until today, when asked what's the secret behind her (supposedly) smart children, she will say "tempe and tahu".

Indeed, tempe for my family back then and for many low-income families in Indonesia today has a very important role.

It's not only tasty food that has become a very much part of daily menu, it's also part of their surviving strategy.

Undoubtedly, protein is important for growth and development during childhood, and for many poor families in Indonesia, tahu and tempe are the most recognizable and most affordable sources of protein.

Recent phenomenons in Indonesia, including the hike of tempe prices leading to the disappearance of the product from marketplaces, are being seen as one of some important chains leading to the declining of quality of life for the poor.

And besides, Indonesians have been in love with tempe for decades. No wonder, protests and complaints are everywhere.

Many people are questioning why and how such a thing could happen? And why such a thing suddenly happened after 62 years of independence? Who is to blame?

The rising price of tempe is of course not separated from other things.

It is linked to the disappearance of locally produced soybeans, which increases the price of soybeans in general.

So tempe makers have to use the more expensive American soybeans, prices of which increased rapidly.

Apparently, Indonesia still imports nearly 70 percent of its soybean demand, and 90 percent of imported soybeans originate from the United States.

This phenomenon triggers various discussions in cyberspace.

One of the most unthinkable ones is the one that links this phenomenon with the conspiracy of the American empire -- and Jews.

Unfortunately, not many Indonesians believe in such story and most point their fingers toward the government. Is the Indonesian government the one to be blamed?

Obviously, we cannot separate the soybean market from the mechanism of global markets, with its free trade and global financial capitalism ideologies.

We cannot avoid the hike of soybean prices because it is happening globally.

This is very much linked to at least three major events: (1) the drought in the U.S. and Brazil; (2) increased demand of soybean and corn in growing developing countries such as China; and (3) the increased popularity/demand of ethanol which led to the scarcity of soybean farmers after many switched to corn.

After about 3,000 tempe-tahu producers went on strike for three days and held a rally in front of the presidential palace, the government reacted to this phenomenon by changing the policy.

It was reported that following the soybean price increase from US$300 to $600 per ton, the government decided to scrap the import duty on soybean imports.

That is one good short-term policy intervention. But is it good in the long run?

In the way the Indonesian government reacts to various problems, the government's measure to lift the 10 percent soybean import duty is a very pragmatic policy.

Just like any other type of "short-cut" policies, it does not hold any promise that we won't have any tempe crisis in the future.

It is true, importing goods is not always more expensive. Sometimes it is cheaper than produce it yourself.

However, creating such a dependency on global markets is never a good solution. By doing so, we have given up too much authority to the global actors to stir the economic situation within the country.

Despite the connection to global markets, the skyrocketing of tempe price, which made it unaffordable for the poor, still resembles an inability of the government to protect the weakest part of society.

Honestly, I am perplexed that Indonesia with its vast land territory fails to meet its need for soybeans and has to import the commodity.

Why the government does not encourage farmers to grow soybean on wider plots of land? The soybean crisis definitely shows the government is not committed to strengthening the country's food resilience based on local potentials -- not on imports.

And why did the government not know that such crisis would happen?

Shouldn't governments be able to predict and anticipate the hike in the soybean prices through efforts to increase soybean production in the country?

The tempe crisis obviously refers to the government's failure to develop the country's agricultural business and to protect its local actors. It also signifies the Indonesian government's failure in producing and/or implementing public policies that benefit the poor.

Until we have policies with a moral intention to protect the poor -- soybean farmers, tempe makers, and related small-scale industries -- tempe might disappear from our tables once again.

When tempe becomes inaccessible to low income people, when tempe takes away power from farmers, small-scale tempe-making industries, tempe becomes a political artifact.

Does tempe have politics? Yes, indeed, apparently it has.

The writer is Assistant Professor of the School of Justice and Social Inquiry and the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at Arizona State University in Tempe, the United States. She can be reached at merlyna@gmail.com.

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