Food security is a multidimensional and very complex issue, covering social, economic, political and environmental aspects. Political aspects are often the dominant factor in the decision-making process to determine food policy. Realizing sustainable food security has become a priority issue and agenda in various meetings held by various countries and international institutions.
Various international institutions discuss in depth efforts to realize food security, such as those implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Asia and the Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Various countries also took the initiative to discuss the issue of global food security, such as the German government holding the 2011 Bonn Conference (Federal Ministry for Economic and Development, Germany, 2011) and Singapore academics holding the International Conference on Food Security in Asia (RSIS Nanyang Technological University, 2014). At these various meetings, certain topics regarding food security were discussed in depth, agreements were reached, and statements were issued indicating understanding of the problem and recommendations for plans for handling it.
The importance of food security in the global and national economic order has been understood by various groups, including leaders countries and governments, leaders of international organizations, private sector managers, and social institutions, for different reasons and interests. One thing that is common awareness is that fulfilling food for every individual is a human right and fulfilling it is a collective obligation, including the individual himself.
Serious efforts to realize sustainable food security very necessary considering that the threat of a global food crisis still exists and could suddenly become a reality. With building food security based on local resources and wisdom, utilizing superior technology to increase food production and productivity efficiently and competitively, and build resilience and the flexibility of the community’s response to the threat of a food crisis, Indonesia will be able to overcome the threat of global or domestic food crises.
The supporting policies needed to realize these various efforts are quite large investments in the agri-food sector, starting from infrastructure, creating technological innovations and their dissemination, to increasing the capacity of human resources for agri-food. Apart from that, efforts are needed to establish strategic partnerships between the government and the private sector to increase food production capacity and facilitate the distribution of food over time, location, and income group.
