Free Nutritious Meal Program Promotes Community Welfare
By: Zahra Lestari Nur
The free nutritious meal program is one of the initiatives that is believed to be able to provide a positive impact on economic growth and community welfare. Not only does it support improving the quality of education and health of children, this program also has the potential to encourage economic growth by creating new jobs and reducing poverty rates.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati highlighted the potential of the free nutritious meal program in increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 0.7 percent. In addition, this program is estimated to be able to create around 185,000 jobs and reduce poverty rates by 0.19 percent. Seeing the enormous economic impact, the Ministry of Finance is committed to continuing to provide support for this national priority program.
The implementation of the free nutritious meal program is indeed not easy, considering the wide scope that must be reached, namely more than 350,000 schools and more than 90 million students in Indonesia. Sri Mulyani likened the implementation of this program to holding a large-scale wedding party every day throughout the year. The difference is, if a wedding party requires months of preparation, this program must run every day without stopping.
As an illustration, in January 2025, as many as 220 Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) have been operating to provide food for 3,000 beneficiaries in each unit. The total number of beneficiaries who have felt the impact of this program has reached 589,902 people, including students, pregnant women, and toddlers. The government is targeting to increase the number of SPPGs to 5,000 units by December 2025, with a service coverage of up to 4,000 beneficiaries per unit.
With a budget allocation of IDR 71 trillion, this program is designed to reach 15.5 million students and 2.4 million pregnant women and toddlers throughout 2025. The government ensures that the implementation of this program does not only rely on the size of the budget, but also a mature distribution strategy so that its benefits can be felt optimally by all beneficiaries.
As President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship program, free nutritious meals require structured planning and execution. Sri Mulyani emphasized that the main challenge in this program is not only the quantity of food that must be provided, but also the quality of nutrition and the effectiveness of its distribution. The government through the National Nutrition Agency has a big responsibility in ensuring that the food provided meets the nutritional standards needed by the community.
Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Fajar Riza Ul Haq, emphasized that free nutritious meals are part of a major strategy in improving the quality of national education. Many students come to school hungry, which affects their concentration and achievement. With this program, every child is expected to get sufficient nutritional intake, so that they can learn more focused and optimally.
More than just providing food, this program also instills the values of discipline, cleanliness, and healthy eating habits in students. With a regular meal schedule and nutritional supervision, children will become accustomed to a healthy diet that will have a positive impact on their health in the long term.
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti stated that the success of this program does not only depend on the aspect of providing food, but also on strengthening character and health services for children.
This program must be designed so that it not only has an impact on the physical aspects of children, but also their mental and character. Therefore, the implementation of free nutritious meals in schools must be in line with character building programs that instill the values of togetherness, responsibility, and independence.
In addition to improving students’ health and education, the free nutritious meal program also has a domino effect on other sectors, including the welfare of farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy emphasized that this program not only provides direct benefits to students, but can also be a catalyst for national economic growth. With the increasing demand for quality food, the agriculture and fisheries sectors will receive a positive boost, while creating new jobs.
The long-term impact of this program also includes increasing student participation and attendance at school. Children who receive good nutrition will be more enthusiastic about learning, which will ultimately contribute to improving their academic achievement.
