According to Prof. Sumarno, a researcher and expert in Plant Breeding, Indonesia's agricultural performance in meeting the nation's food needs has shown commendable progress over time. He attributes this success to the rapid advancement of Indonesia's agriculture, thanks to the government's implementation of the Green Revolution Technology (GRT), which has effectively navigated various challenges such as economic crises, pandemics, and social changes. The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has played a crucial role by providing training to local officials, introducing and developing green revolution technologies, and promoting superior varieties of seeds. This has led to remarkable results, with increased rice production, making it possible for everyone to have access to rice at any time and place. Prof. Sumarno highlights that the Green Revolution has significantly improved harvest yields by 300 to 400 percent, enabled farmers to cultivate crops three times a year, and successfully addressed chronic hunger while meeting domestic rice demand.
Prima Gandhi, an academician and food expert from IPB University, asserts that Indonesia's current food policies align with the definition of food sovereignty as stated in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, where nations independently determine food policies to ensure people's right to food. The country has made considerable progress in providing affordable and adequate food, in accordance with the Food Law No. 18 of 2012 and UN Human Rights Article 25. Kuntoro Boga Andri, Head of Public Relations and Information Bureau at Kementan, emphasizes that the ministry's achievements continue to grow. Indonesia has managed to achieve self-sufficiency (swasembada) by not importing rice for three consecutive years. This progress demonstrates that agriculture can become a strong pillar and economic support during global crises.
