Indonesia launches $4.3 billion free-meal programme to target stunting: Video
Indonesia officially launched a $4.3 billion free-meal programme on Monday, January 6, aimed at reducing stunted growth caused by malnutrition.
The initiative, a key election promise by President Prabowo Subianto, focuses on providing nutritious meals to schoolchildren, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
“This is historic for Indonesia for the first time conducting a nationwide nutrition programme for toddlers, students, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers,” presidential spokesman Hasan Nasbi stated on Sunday.
The programme includes the operation of at least 190 kitchens run by third-party catering services, including some based in military facilities. These kitchens prepared meals overnight for distribution to beneficiaries.
The government has allocated 10,000 rupiahs (62 US cents) per meal, with a total budget of 71 trillion rupiahs for the 2025 fiscal year. The initiative aims to benefit nearly 83 million people by 2029.
Stunting affects 21.5% of children in Indonesia, a country of approximately 282 million people. The programme aims to reduce this rate to 5% by 2045.
The programme has faced criticism from experts and members of the public since its announcement during the presidential campaign. Jakarta-based nutritionist and doctor Tan Shot Yen highlighted issues with initial trials, which she noted were largely confined to urban areas and lacked public transparency.
“I hope this programme is not just a temporary charitable effort to fulfil political promises,” Yen said, emphasising the need for robust food safety management and transparency to avoid potential hazards such as the inclusion of processed foods like instant noodles and sausages.
Public policy analyst Aditya Alta from the Centre for Indonesian Policy Studies expressed doubts about the programme’s sustainability.
“I am quite pessimistic if everything is shouldered by the central government. Economically, it’s not sustainable,” Alta told AFP.
He added that tackling stunting requires a multidimensional approach.
Prabowo, who assumed office in October, has prioritised addressing malnutrition in Indonesia’s poorest and most remote areas.
He secured a $10 billion deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in November to support several sectors, including the free-meal programme.
His administration has emphasised that the initiative is designed to improve quality of life and contribute to economic growth.
