Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto emphasized that strengthening food security in urban areas is an important aspect that needs to be considered in order to take advantage of the demographic bonus.
"How can we possibly harness the demographic bonus to create a resilient population in the next five, ten, or fifteen years without ensuring that these cities are food resilient and have enough to provide them with healthy food?" Bima said in a statement.
This was conveyed at the 2026 National Food Forum for City Government.
According to him, cities have a strategic role as consumption centers as well as drivers of human resource quality that will determine the nation's competitiveness in the future.
Bima explained that Indonesia is currently enjoying a demographic bonus. However, this opportunity is estimated to only last until around 2038–2040, so local governments need to ensure that all people, especially in urban areas, have access to nutritious food.
"If we can't take advantage of the demographic bonus, then by 2040 we will definitely not be a developed country because we have failed to capitalize on the demographic bonus like other countries," he said.
He added that this challenge is even more pressing given that approximately 43.5 percent of Indonesia's population still lacks access to healthy food. He believes this situation could hinder the development of a productive generation needed to drive national economic growth.
Bima also commended several city governments for their serious attention to food sector development through regional budget support. He hopes this commitment will continue to be strengthened through cross-sector collaboration to build a more resilient and sustainable urban food system.
