Free Nutritious Meals Recommended to Focus First on Vulnerable Groups

JAKARTA, KOMPAS- The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) is believed to improve the quality of human resources through improving children's nutrition and health. However, the government is asked to focus more on vulnerable groups so that there is no waste of budget.

Coordinator of the Poverty Alleviation and Inequality Studies Division (EQUITAS) at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogyakarta, Wisnu Setiadi Nugroho, expressed this when contacted from Jakarta on Thursday (6/3/2025).

According to Wisnu, amid budget constraints, the government's populist program to improve the quality of Indonesia's human resources (HR) would be more effective if prioritized in regions and schools with the highest levels of food insecurity.

The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) should ideally be focused on children from underprivileged families. "Because of its universal nature, where children from affluent families also receive benefits despite not needing them, this national program risks experiencing inefficiency," said Wisnu.

As reported by Kompas.id, Head of the National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana after a meeting with President Prabowo in Jakarta, Monday (24/2/2025), said that it currently serves more than 2 million recipients in 38 provinces. The program, which began on January 6, 2025, targets to serve 3 million recipients in the first three months.

With a 2025 budget of Rp 71 trillion, he continued, by April, MBG will serve 3 million recipients. Then, from April to August, 6 million recipients, from August to September, 15 million recipients, and by December, the target is 17.5 million recipients.

Due to its universal nature, where children from affluent families also receive benefits despite not needing them, this national program risks experiencing inefficiency.

With a 2025 budget amounting to Rp 71 trillion, MBG will serve 3 million recipients until April. Then, from April to August, MBG will be provided to 6 million recipients, from August to September to 15 million recipients, and by December 2025, the target is set at 17.5 million people.

Due to numerous reports of children wanting to quickly receive this program, President Prabowo has requested the Nutrition Agency to expedite the distribution of MBG. If the acceleration begins next year, Dadan stated, a monthly allocation of Rp 28 trillion will be required.

Wisnu believes that the MBG program can provide significant benefits if implemented effectively, as it has the potential to improve the quality of human resources through better nutrition and children's health.

Data from the 2023 Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reported that children who receive free meals are more likely to have food security and better health. In addition, a 2021 report from the Brookings Institution stated that free meal programs have an impact on improving student performance in school.

In the long term, according to Wisnu, this program can have a positive impact on labor productivity. However, regarding the handling of stunting or tengkes, the impact needs to be studied further. This is because prevention of stunting must begin at an early age, namely before the age of five.

Wisnu said, despite its benefits, the MGB program faces major challenges, especially in terms of distribution and procurement of food ingredients. In addition, monitoring food quality is a challenge in itself because it is difficult to ensure that each food meets nutritional and quality standards.

Learning from the experience of the United States, the free feeding program is carried out by the government as part of a national policy with the Farm to Table scheme. This program is funded by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and involves farmers, ranchers, educators, and communities in the United States.

"This program aims to develop a more innovative distribution system, provide access to nutritious local food for school children, and help improve regional economic welfare. So logistics costs are cheaper and the welfare of residents is more guaranteed," said Wisnu.

Another program that is carried out in the United States is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This program plays a vital role in providing nutritious food to millions of children in the United States, especially those from low-income families.

The NSLP sets nutritional standards in accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, including using local foods and adjusting menus to better suit the United States Dietary Guidelines.

"The government has allocated a special budget to support this program, involving trusted local food kitchens and suppliers to ensure nutritional quality is maintained," said Wisnu.

However, such programs must be managed well so as not to harm small farmers and local businesses. If the program is too centralized, only large suppliers will benefit, while small farmers and local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be marginalized.

To be more effective, the government needs to prioritize areas and schools with the highest levels of food insecurity. Other solutions include providing food subsidies for poor families, food coupons, or incentives for schools to provide nutritious food with more flexible funding.

The management of the MBG program is also recommended to be decentralized. Because, local governments are considered to understand the needs of their regions better and can empower local MSMEs in providing food supplies.

" Strict supervision is needed to ensure budget effectiveness and prevent irregularities. Transparency and accountability also need to be strengthened, for example with an independent audit system and community involvement in monitoring program implementation," said Wisnu.

Separately, Senior Economist of FEB UGM Revrisond Baswir said the MBG program is a breakthrough. Because, there is a firmness that the essence of development is human development. However, this program should not burden the people, and should not burden the APBD.

Revrisond, who is also the former Head of the Center for People's Economic Studies at UGM, reminded the government to be more frugal, not wasteful, and more selective in spending, as well as cutting unnecessary things.

The government must think of ways to find funds for the sustainability of this program, without going into debt and cutting other budgets that will burden the people. "Don't let the people become victims. How to do it with sufficient costs so that food remains nutritious," he said.

Revrisond emphasized that the MBG program is not actually a government charity, but a form of people's human rights that the government should fulfill. The people are expected to be more aware of their role, and to take part by continuing to speak up and provide their ideas.

Meanwhile, Professor of Public Administration of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Airlangga University, Antun Mardiyanta, said that the success of the MBG program does not only depend on good policies, but also on effective implementation and active participation from various parties.

One approach for all regions is less effective for the success of this program. This is because Indonesia has diverse geographical, social, and economic conditions. "The implementation strategy cannot be uniform for all regions. The conditions of regions in Indonesia are diverse," he said.