A 25-year-old farmer from Idas in West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo, who was previously unaware of the importance of vegetables and how to grow them, received vegetable seeds and training on how to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and peanuts. This was part of a government intervention in just four out of 160 villages in the district, based on data-based policymaking using a methodology developed by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). The district’s Food Security Office recommended targeting these settlements to provide targeted assistance and prevent stunting, a condition that affects many in the region.
Nur Affandi, Head of the Food Security Office in Singgau, emphasized the importance of using evidence and data rather than intuition to effectively target interventions and create policies that make a difference. The Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas, developed jointly by WFP and the National Food Agency, visualizes key food security data for all 514 cities and districts in Indonesia. It assigns each subdistrict and village one of six priority classes of vulnerability, based on indicators such as access to water, agricultural land, and medical facilities. This composite index helps identify which areas are most vulnerable to food insecurity.
In 2019, Idas was classified as “highly food insecure,” but since then, efforts have been made to improve the village’s economic condition. The dirt road connecting it to main roads has been repaired, seeds have been distributed to families to diversify their diets, and pepper plants have been introduced to diversify their income. As a result, Idas is no longer classified as highly food insecure.
This approach of data-based policymaking has been seen as a successful pilot and is being emulated in other areas of the country, such as East Nusa Tenggara province and its capital city, Kupang. A Regent’s Decree in 2022 mandated the use of the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas for all local authorities, including those in charge of health care, agriculture, and social support. In 2021, 37% of the province’s 309 subdistricts were found to be vulnerable to food insecurity, with over 20% of the population living below the poverty line and nearly 40% of children under five being stunted.
Marthen Rahakbauw, Head of the Kupang District Regional Development Planning Office, states that using the Atlas for planning enables them to target food insecurity interventions more effectively. However, there is still much work to be done, and WFP is working with the National Food Agency to encourage other cities and districts to mandate the use of the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas to reach those most vulnerable to food insecurity across the country.
Kornelia Icha, a resident of Idas, says that the vegetables they now grow make a significant difference in her family’s diet. Their main income comes from selling rubber, but they also supplement it with odd jobs and selling peanuts. She notes that they are not poor, but they could not afford to eat as many vegetables before they started growing them.