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Govt aims to combat food inflation with GMO, experts and farmers skeptical
The government is set to push for genetically modified organisms (GMO), in a bid to help the archipelago country fight food inflation, but experts and farmers say the move may do little to solve the problem.
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All ears: A farmer dries ears of corn under the sun in front of her home in Karangmojo, Gunung Kidul regency, Yogyakarta, on Oct. 14, 2021. Local farmers plant corn or peanuts between rice crops. (JP/P.J. Leo)
T
he government is set on boosting the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), despite skepticism from experts and farmers that the plan would do much to solve the country’s food inflation issue.
Indonesia saw inflation jump to a seven-year high, reaching 4.94 percent year-on-year (yoy) in July, exceeding Bank Indonesia’s already revised outlook of 4.6 percent.
The government and the central bank blamed the inflation hike for skyrocketing volatile food components — inflation based on food prices — which reached 11.47 percent yoy that month.
Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the government sought to control inflation by ensuring sufficient domestic food supplies through the use of GMOs to boost farm yields.
Airlangga estimated that the use of GM corn could double production of the crop to between 12 and 13 tons per hectare (ha), from a previous range of between 5 and 6 tons per hectare.
This year, the government predicts cumulative corn production could reach 18 million tons, exceeding the 14 million tons needed for feedstocks.
“We have asked the Agriculture Ministry to change the regulations to make it easier for GMOs,” Airlangga said during a press briefing held by the Office of the Economic Minister on Aug. 5.
