The Star, Bogor, West Java – Ten Indonesian universities will survey alimentary resources across the archipelago in the coming year as part of the government's food security program.
Sugeng Hari Suseno, chair of the Matching Fund Food Patriot Consortium, said the food mapping project would be led by the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).
Sugeng said each university was expected to identify top food commodities by region that could support the country's food security.
Other members of the consortium are Syiah Kuala University in Aceh, Mataram University in West Nusa Tenggara, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Tanjungpura University in West Kalimantan, Mulawarman University in East Kalimantan, Pattimura University in Maluku, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University in Banten and Gorontalo State University in Gorontalo.
Indonesia has raised the alarm on a potential fertilizer shortage that could jeopardize the food security of billions of people worldwide, amid Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine.
Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain producers, and the Russian invasion has sent global prices soaring. Moscow has cast blame on Western sanctions, an assertion denounced by the United States, which says it is not targeting agricultural or humanitarian goods.
One McKinsey study suggests that the war in Ukraine has resulted in a decline in wheat production of 15 million to 20 million tonnes in 2022 – and possibly up to 40 million tonnes in 2023. Meanwhile, experts warn that disruptions in fertilizer shipments could seriously impede future harvests worldwide. (dre)