Jakarta. Senior Economist and Executive Director of the Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) Indonesia, Mohammad Faisal, warned the government of potential food waste stemming from the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, set to launch in January 2025.

"In addition to ensuring smooth distribution, the government must also guarantee the quality of the meals to prevent unforeseen problems, such as food waste. In some pilot projects, meals were discarded," Faisal said during an interview at the CORE Indonesia office on Wednesday.

He expressed concern that the limited budget could compromise the quality and variety of meals, especially as the program targets children and pregnant women who often have specific dietary preferences.

"For instance, if schoolchildren are not educated on the importance of vegetables, they might refuse to eat them, leading to waste. They’ll only eat what they like, creating food waste," Faisal explained.

To address this, Faisal urged the government to enhance its preparation for the program, including educating beneficiaries on the importance of balanced nutrition.

Faisal also pointed out that the Rp 10,000 ($0.63) budget per meal is insufficient, particularly in regions with higher production and living costs.

"Rp 10,000 is already very tight, especially considering the cost-of-living variations across regions. Outside Java, the average cost of living is generally higher than in Java," he said.

He criticized the government's decision to prioritize expanding the number of beneficiaries over maintaining meal quality.

"The government aims to maximize beneficiaries, but cutting costs to the point where quality suffers is a poor trade-off, especially given the vast regional disparities in Indonesia," Faisal noted.

He emphasized the need for region-specific budgets rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

"We see significant differences in minimum wages between regions, like Central Java and West Java. This variation must be accounted for. The Rp 10,000 budget shouldn’t apply uniformly across all regions," Faisal concluded.

The warning comes as Indonesia grapples with significant levels of food loss and waste. A study by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) revealed that from 2000 to 2019, Indonesia generated 184 kilograms of food loss and waste per capita annually.

This resulted in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.7 billion megatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and an estimated economic loss of Rp 550 trillion per year—equivalent to 5 percent of Indonesia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).