Indonesian President’s Special Envoy outlines food issues at CFS
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesian President’s Special Envoy, Muhammad Mardiono, outlined food system transformation; status of food security and nutrition; and transformation of Indonesian agricultural-based food (agrifood) at the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Session in Italy.
“The agricultural food system must be holistic, interconnected, and multisectoral. Therefore, its governance must involve all stakeholders to synergize policy at the local, regional, and national levels,” he noted in a statement on Tuesday.
Mardiono, who serves as Indonesia’s Special Envoy for Poverty Alleviation and Food Security Cooperation, emphasized that Indonesia’s transformation aims to create a nutritious, inclusive, fair, sustainable, and strong food system built on a local food system and its potential.
“In handling the food crisis, our government is focusing on protecting vulnerable groups, including farmers and fishermen families, through market stabilization support and social protection,” he stated.
Furthermore, the second issue is related to Indonesia’s efforts to improve the status of food security and nutrition.
He noted that Indonesia guarantees food availability for its 273 million people by increasing access to more nutritious, safe, adequate, and healthy food.
Speaking in connection with the third issue, Mardiono emphasized that agricultural-based food transformation requires investment in research capacity, data, innovation, and technology.
Indonesia lauds the support from various parties in the food sector and invites partners at regional and global levels to collaborate starting from food production, strengthening institutions, increasing farmers’ capacity, and joint funding, he remarked.
He affirmed that Indonesia is ready to continue to collaborate with all CFS stakeholders to accelerate efforts towards a more resilient and sustainable agricultural food system.
CFS is an intergovernmental and multistakeholder organization supporting food and nutrition security. Therefore, this platform is expected to ensure inclusiveness and absorb aspirations of all parties.
Mardiono also conveyed that discussions about food are highly strategic in the midst of the current global crises.
Amid the current global food crisis, he also stated that Indonesia condemned violence in the Gaza Strip that caused casualties and injured several people, including women and children.
“On this occasion, Indonesia strongly condemns the conflict in the Gaza Strip and the entire occupied territory of Palestine,” he revealed.
Mardiono called for the importance of guaranteeing the widest possible access for Palestinians to gain nutritious, safe, adequate, and healthy food along with clean water and the right for development.
“Last year, one in 10 people experienced food insecurity. If this trend continues, the goal of ending hunger by 2030 will not be achieved,” he remarked.
