Prabowo Focuses on Food Self-Sufficiency and Priority Downstream-Industries

RRI.CO.ID, Bogor - The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, affirmed the government's commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency while accelerating economic transformation thru industrial downstreaming. This grand strategy is expected to create hundreds of thousands of quality jobs and lift millions of people out of poverty.

At the National Coordination Meeting of the Central and Regional Governments in Bogor, West Java, on Monday, 2 February 2026, the President emphasized that food sovereignty is the main foundation for the nation's independence and prosperity.

"Our first foundation, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, we must be self-sufficient in food. There is no alternative. If we want to be independent, if we want to be prosperous, we must guaranty food production so that food can be enjoyed by all our people," Prabowo stated.

Beside the food sector, the President has established strategic steps in the industrial sector through accelerating downstreaming. In 2026, the government plans to begin 18 priority downstreaming projects with an investment value of Rp 618 trillion. These sectors include mineral processing such as bauxite and nickel, as well as natural resource commodities like palm oil, seaweed, and fisheries.

The President detailed that these projects include the aluminum smelter industry, stainless steel slab, the palm oil industry (oleo food), and the coconut flour industry. "These 18 projects will create 276,000 quality jobs. "We will start this year," he conveyed.

Regarding welfare at the village level, the President also outlined a program to strengthen the economy thru cooperatives. The government aims to establish a minimum of 28,000 operational cooperatives in each village, equipped with warehouses, cold storage, and transportation units. This aims to ensure that all of the people's harvest is absorbed at a fair price.

Not only large industries, but the President's attention is also focused on a crucial urban environmental issue: waste management. The President instructed the construction of Waste to Energy projects in 34 cities to prevent the overcapacity of landfills, which is predicted to occur in 2028.

Solving our waste problem requires cooperation between the central and local governments. But we can't wait. Therefore, if necessary, for the sake of the people, the central government will lead," he said.

Moreover, President Prabowo invited all elements of the nation to unite against poverty and safeguard Indonesia's natural wealth for the benefit of the wider public. He also plans to launch the "Beautiful Indonesia Movement" (Safe, Healthy, Clean, Beautiful) as part of the Asta Cita grand strategy to improve the quality of life for all Indonesians.