Hungry for Change: Meet the Indonesian Youth Reforming our Food Systems

The future of the world depends on good food. Good food keeps us healthy, protects our planet, and boosts our economies. So, to commemorate International Youth Day on August 12, nine UN agencies in Indonesia joined forces in a series of three events to highlight the role of young people in restoring the planet, protecting life, and transforming our food systems.

In line with this year’s International Youth Day theme, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”,  Indonesian youth leaders, sustainability experts, and activists led discussions on food security, sustainability, and why young people are at the heart of improving food systems: from production, to processing, to transportation, to the consumption of food.

Those conversations couldn’t be more urgent. After decades of progress in tackling hunger, the world has in recent years gone backwards on food security. The pandemic has dramatically exacerbated that trend, exposing the fragility of our food systems and threatening the nutrition of millions of people around the world. A UN multi-agency report estimates that a tenth of the global population – up to 811 million people – experienced hunger in 2020. That number could rise even further in 2021. As with COVID-19, it is society's most vulnerable who are most likely to bear the brunt.

“Our food system in Indonesia and globally is broken. We need to fix it,” said Valerie Julliand, UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, in remarks she delivered at the opening of a UN in Indonesia virtual talk show on August 14, “Young people must get involved in transforming the food systems, as you are the ones who will live with the consequences of the actions we take today.”

Indeed, Indonesian adolescents already face the triple burden of malnutrition. According to UNICEF, approximately one in four is stunted, 9 per cent have low body mass index, and 16 per cent are overweight or obese. In addition, one-fourth of adolescent girls suffer from anaemia. When young people's nutrition is not fulfilled, it impacts the well-being of current and future generations.

At the same time, according to UNEP’s Food Waste Index 2021, Indonesian households generate 77 kg of food waste per capita per year. Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, burdens waste management systems, and exacerbates food insecurity. With the world’s population expected to reach 9 billion people in the next 30 years, food systems need urgent reform to be sustainable, nurture people and the planet.

The UN in Indonesia’s International Youth Day commemoration events showed how young people can lead these reforms. During a panel discussion in the Aug 14 talk show, Dea Fairuz Puspa, a member of UNICEF’s Mitra Muda youth network, encouraged young people to explore local foods and ensure that their plate has diverse, nutritious ingredients. Vinny Nurizky from UNDP’s Global Marine Commodities project, which mainstreams sustainability into seafood supply chains and rebuilds fish stocks  and livelihoods, spoke about the importance of protecting marine biodiversity and seafood as a rich source of protein. Repa Kustipia from Gastro Tourism Academy, a group that provides eco-tourism and gastronomy courses, mentioned that Indonesia’s biodiversity is a rich resource through which young people’s innovation can define the future of food systems. Both Dwi Arif Fiandita from Garda Pangan and Muhammad Agung Saputra from Surplus.id, two leading food banks, emphasized that young people can contribute to reducing food waste by re-using what we can’t finish.

Other panelists looked at food from the perspective of its ability to bring good memories and nourish our well-being. For Rere Al Anshor at PETRASU (North Sumatran Transwomen Association), community farming became a source of healing during the pandemic.

“Farming is not only a means for transwomen to survive during the pandemic and in the future, it’s become a coping mechanism for our mental health,” Rere said.

Meanwhile Shazia, an Afghan refugee, cooked her favourite traditional Afghan food, ashrak and bosragh, while explaining how it brings back fond memories of family gatherings and special occasions such as Eid. Rayhan Noor, a singer and songwriter, performed a couple of songs raising awareness of taking care of mental health. And Seto Nurseto, a finalist from Masterchef Indonesia, performed a live cooking demo and invited young people to reflect on and appreciate the origin of each ingredient he used.

The series of International Youth Day events was closed by the UNESCO-hosted virtual fashion market “Wastra Nusantara” on Aug. 18. At the market, young Indonesian designers showcased their work in sustainable fashion through eco-friendly textiles, ancestral crafts preservation, and community empowerment.

With less than ten years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, this year’s International Youth Day events emphasised the  need for collaboration to improve food systems and showed how young people everywhere are driving ambitious efforts towards a world that leaves no one behind. That means a world where good food is affordable and accessible, where all members of society work together to provide it, and where farmers and fisherfolk produce food in a way that protects the planet.

“Young people are at the core of development,” said Jarot Indarto, Ministry of National Development Planning’s Policy Analyst, in his closing remarks on Aug. 14,  “They are our future leaders and have the power to start good transformation: from small things, from now, and from ourselves.”