Food & Climate
The Indonesian government has recently been considering climate and its impact on food security in several plans, the latest of which is the decision of the General Election Commission to include it among the topics for debates by candidates for regional presidency, in the simultaneous regional elections that will be held the tomorrow, Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
On Election Day, voters will elect 37 governors and vice-governors, 415 regents and vice-regents, and 93 mayors and vice-mayors across the country’s 545 regions, according some reports seen by “Food & Climate” platform.
The 2024 regional elections are a significant manifestation of democratic values in Indonesia, enabling citizens to directly elect their local leaders, according to “Ifes”.
Climate and its impact on food security
Project Lead for Food Policy at Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI), Raisa Andriani, said: “In fact, economic development must pay attention to the environmental impact and social justice for the community”.
Raisa said that regional heads who are committed to overcoming the climate crisis are very crucial because of its impact on the quality of the environment, social life, economy, and health.
She explained that climate and its impact on the provision of good and healthy food, as well as public health, are important issues.
She continued: “The climate crisis affects the planting and harvesting cycles of farmers, which directly affects the quality and quantity of healthy local food production.”
“From the supply side, the climate crisis affects the farming and harvesting cycles of farmers which directly impacts the quality and quantity of healthy local food production,” she said.
Based on research data from the World Food Agency (FAO), agricultural production in Java is predicted to decrease by 5% in 2025 and decrease by 10% in 2050 due to the climate crisis.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government’s commitment to handling the climate crisis as well as providing quality food has actually been stated in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024 and the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) 2024-2045.
“However, we consider that the implementation of the RPJPN should be monitored and integrated to the regional level through the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD),” she said.
Raisa said that the current climate crisis also has the potential to encourage people to access unhealthy food.
Based on the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey, people access unhealthy food because it is easy to get and affordable.
For example, ultra-processed food and packaged sweetened drinks are easier for people to access and find. The high consumption of these foods can contribute to increased obesity and the risk of other diseases.
“Locality is a key aspect in realizing a sustainable healthy food supply chain. This is where regional heads play a key role in solving climate issues as well as food security challenges,” Raisa said.
World Bank study
In 2021, the World Bank issued a study was titeled “CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE IN INDONESIA”, that said: “While the agricultural sector will generate a smaller share of Indonesia’s GDP over time, it is of critical importance for livelihood generation and food security. To future-proof the sector, sgnificant investment is required to help smallholders adapt to the increasingly severe impacts of climate change.
The value proposition of the agricultural sector must also be resurrected in order to develop its human resources and draw in younger workers.
Ensuring local value capture so that input suppliers, producers, and processors are able to enjoy livable profit margins will be key to continued poverty reduction in Indonesia’s rural areas.
Agriculture employs nearly a third of the population and 93% of Indonesian producers are small family enterprises. 64% of poor rural households engage in agricultural production. Large plantations producing export crops constitute a small portion of and area but generate an outsized share of agricultural value.
In coming decades, slow-onset climate shifts will decrease the crop suitability of several production systems key to poverty reduction and food security, such as rice and maize, according the study.
Indonesia is the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitting country, with 61% of total emissions linked to forestry and 9% to agricultural production.
To ensure producers are able to adapt to the environmental risks, additional research and development, agricultural extension services, and information and advisory services are required
CSA practices and technologies such as promoting the use of improved crop varieties and livestock breeds.
In East Java, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) can be combined with customary local cultural practices to conserve resources and increase production.
In North Sumatra, cattle and small ruminants can be integrated with oil palm farming systems to reduce inputs and cycle resources. Arabica coffee is another locally-important commodity, the value chain of which can be strengthened with higher quality inputs, enhanced local processing capacity, the development of producer groups, and improved connections with large buyers.
In Nusa Tenggara Timur, small producers should be assisted in diversifying production away from
maize and toward more drought-tolerant and locally suited crops. Pig production systems can be scaled up with a high-value breeding programme, the upgrading of pig pens to minimize disease.