Indonesia unveils plan to attract youth to farming and boost food security

Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs has drafted a roadmap to rejuvenate its agricultural labor force by engaging younger generations, especially school-age children. Deputy Coordinating Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq emphasized education as the foundation for this generational shift, noting that young workers made up only 21.93 percent of the sector in 2023. He warned that the declining number of farmers—down from 31.71 million in 2013 to 29.34 million a decade later—poses a serious risk to national food security.

The initiative aligns with the ministry’s five-pillar approach, adding human-resource development to land, seeds, fertilizer and technology. With roughly 67 percent of Indonesians of working age, officials hope to capitalize on this demographic advantage. The government also aims to create a supportive environment through policies that ensure fair commodity pricing for both producers and consumers under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration.