From farms to school meals: Linking local agriculture to Indonesia’s free nutritious meals program

Abstract

Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program represents one of the most ambitious public nutrition initiatives ever implemented in the country. Designed to provide daily nutritious meals to millions of school children, the program has the potential to significantly improve child nutrition, learning outcomes, and long-term human development. Yet beyond its immediate nutritional objectives, the program also raises a fundamental question: can a large-scale national nutrition policy simultaneously serve as a catalyst for strengthening local agricultural systems?