DISCUSSION ABOUT FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

DISCUSSION ABOUT FOOD SOVERIGNTY

By : Wayan Windia

             Dry season will coming soon. Some climatologists said that some sites in Indonesia that usually to be threatened by dryness, will back to suffer the same threat this year. Korona Virus attacking not finish yet, but dryness attacking have been started. Very hard problems have been faced by government and people as well. Food problem will back as a significant threat for the peoples. Food is a very important, and the problem of food is not simple.

President Jokowi have been warning to the all officer. Meanwhile,  the leader of PDIP Party, Mrs. Megawati also have been stated that, all officer of the PDIP Party, must aware about the food sovereignty. Megawati seems giving the first announcement. That the performance of the PDIP Party’s cadre, especially as a head of region in Indonesia (as a governor, mayor, or bupati), will be valued from their ability to anticipate food sovereignty at the region.    Food aspect is closed related with the people stomach and nation as well. Some leader of the  nations is fall, because their fail to maintaining food sufficient stability. 

Economist Gunnar Myrdal said that the agricultural development (food producer) is always inviting pro and contra from the stakeholders. But will determine whether one nation will destroy or not. That is why Jokowi and Megawati  to warn the officer about food sovereignty condition.  

But the question is, whether Megawati is relevant to warn her cadres in position of a head of region in Indonesia, to anticipate the food sovereignty? Important to know that the food sovereignty concept is consist of three dimensions. (1) To adequate food need from domestic production. (2) Food policy must be managed independently. (3) Farmer as a food producer must be protected and always in prosperity condition.    

If we understand about the three aspects of food sovereignty, so food sovereignty concept basically is a macro concept. It is mean that food sovereignty is close related with the central government policy. So, Megawati is better ask her cadre Jokowi (as President) to preparing some policies, in order to get food sovereignty.  

Of course, it is not easy to be implemented by President Jokowi. Because we are too far to stand at a consumer side. May be because of the inflation consideration. So the agricultural product must be sold very cheap. Value of the output of agricultural production, is sometime below of the value of the inputs that was invested. If we asking about rice, so if the farmer grow one hectare rice, their income just almost the same with the beggar, or as a building labor. Incase the price of rice increase, so the government always will import the rice from abroad, and then the price of rice will decrease. So the farmer have no opportunity to have a good price, in order to increasing their income. We are very sad to think about our farmer condition. The farmers basically is a very poor condition, but they must ready as inflation bumper as well.  The same condition is also faced by sugarcane farmers, soybean farmers, and white union farmers.                

If we want to get food sovereignty, so the agricultural development concept should be changed 100 percent. Nation should stand at the producers side. Farmer should be given a good price for their production, in order the farmers be happy as a farmer. We believe the farmers will implement the best agricultural activities in the field. The young generation will enter the agricultural activities, and rice field conversion could be managed.     

Some leader of farmers have been spoke from long ago, that their need output subsidy, not input subsidy anymore. It is mean that amount of subsidy for farmers, that have been allocated at the government calculation, should be given directly to the farmers. If the government implemented input’s subsidy, so the government money will go first to the industrialist and then from there to the farmers in form of tractor, fertilizer, etc. But sometime, those think is not compatible with the agricultural site condition.  

If the government will implement again the Garis-Garis Besar Haluan Pembangunan Negara (GBHN), to guide the development in Indonesia, so the food sovereignty concept should be noted at the GBHN document. It is very important in order the government must be stand up at the producer side.    

            After corona virus attacking finish, some experts stated that some nations will more protected. It is mean that all nations will prioritize the domestic interest then for export, including food. That is why we must try to get food sovereignty in order we not depend on the other nations for food consumption.    

*) Professor (Emeritus) at Faculty of Agriculture, Udayana University, Bali.

At Bali Post Daily, Juny 3, 2020.