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View all search resultsLand conversion puts self-sufficiency at risk
As President Prabowo Subianto declares Indonesia “self-sufficient” after just one year in office, farmer groups warn that shrinking farmland may soon undercut that achievement, urging the government to prioritize land protection and structural reform over costly expansion programs.
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Farmers plant rice in a paddy field in the village of Lambaro in Aceh Besar regency, Aceh. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
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resident Prabowo Subianto has warned about the impacts of land conversion as nearly 100,000 hectares of rice fields are lost each year because plantation areas give way to real estate, toll roads or factories.
“How can we secure our food supply if our fertile rice fields disappear?” he asked during a full cabinet meeting on Oct. 20, emphasizing the need for new farmlands.
At the same time, President Prabowo said the country had achieved self-sufficiency in rice production within just one year of his administration, well ahead of the original four-year target, with production reaching 31 million tonnes as of October.
Farmer groups and experts, however, caution that self-sufficiency on paper may not reflect genuine progress toward lasting food security.
They warn that high production alone does not ensure food reaches the people who need it most and that continued land conversion threatens the sustainability of Indonesia’s rice supply.
Self-sufficiency vs. accessibility
Ayip Said Abdullah, a coordinator of pressure group People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP), says self-sufficiency is only one part of the challenge, and high production does not guarantee affordable access across the country.
