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Experts warn of waste from Prabowo’s school lunch program
Indonesia ranks high for per-capita food waste.
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Food waste (Shutterstock/patsrg)
I
ndonesian presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto’s promise to provide free lunch and milk for schoolchildren nationwide has drawn concerns from experts and environmentalists about exacerbating the country’s already substantial food waste problem.
A centerpiece of Prabowo’s election campaign, the free food plan aims to combat stunting and improve human resources by feeding some 82.9 million people, including schoolchildren up to grade 12, teachers, pregnant women and toddlers.
It carries an estimated US$30 billion per year price tag and involves building 377,000 kitchens and providing 1.8 million jobs, according to the Prabowo camp, with full implementation expected only by 2029 in the fifth year of the program, CNBC Indonesia reported.
“This program of such a large scale could worsen our existing and pressing food waste issues,” Alliance for Zero Waste Indonesia (AZWI) steering committee member Abdul Ghofar told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Excess food is a common occurrence at hajatan, Indonesian celebrations for anniversaries or other occasions, as people often consume only what they like from food packs or buffets, Ghofar said, leaving lots of items unconsumed. “People’s [different] preferences and portion sizes could lead to more waste.”
He further cautioned about the capacity of schools as the primary targets to administer the program effectively, pointing to issues such as inadequate school infrastructure, low hygiene standards and a lack of proper waste management, coupled with low wages for teachers and staff.
“The burden would likely fall on schools,” Ghofar opined. “I mean, who would be willing to oversee lunch arrangements and waste management in schools? Teachers? The maintenance staff?”
