Agriculture Ministry vows to boost food sovereignty, curb food mafias

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Agriculture Minister Muhammad Saleh Mustafa reaffirmed the government's commitment to food sovereignty through production boosts, farmland expansion, farmer welfare improvements, and crackdowns on food mafias.

"We must carry this duty. The president has given direction to the Agriculture Minister and me. We have to carry on," he noted on Wednesday.

Mustafa stated that his office will accelerate agricultural initiatives, including land clearing and support for agricultural workers.

Achieving food sovereignty presents significant challenges, making multi-stakeholder collaboration essential to expand farmland and boost national output, he said.

"All stakeholders in the agricultural sector must work together to build food sovereignty. Land clearing and improving farmer welfare are also important," he continued.

Mustafa emphasized that successful agricultural development requires cross-sector synergy among ministries, state institutions, the military, police, regional governments, private businesses, and local farmers.

In addition to expanding production, he highlighted the necessity of law enforcement against illegal market practices that disrupt governance and harm local communities.

Eradicating food mafias requires firm, professional legal processes grounded in evidence and statutory provisions, according to Mustafa.

"Food mafias eradication must prioritize law enforcement. Those proven to have violated the law must be prosecuted accordingly. However, action must be based on strong evidence to ensure a proper and accountable legal process," he said.

He also noted that improvement in food governance must go hand in hand with increasing production.

Therefore, efforts to achieve food sovereignty should go beyond ensuring food availability and focus on building a healthy and fair food system that benefits both farmers and consumers.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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