Govt Tightens Agricultural Land Protection to Safeguard Food Security

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is strengthening agricultural land protection by tightening controls on paddy field conversion and accelerating the designation of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) across all regions.

These measures aim to secure land availability for food production and support the national food self‑sufficiency goal.

Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Head Nusron Wahid said protecting agricultural land is a government priority, as directed by President Prabowo Subianto.

“We have been instructed to safeguard and protect paddy fields and agricultural land, specifically through the Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) decree,” Minister Nusron said in Jakarta on Thursday, July 9, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He stressed that food security is an urgent need amid global uncertainty. Despite rising demand for land for strategic national projects, the government is prioritizing agricultural land protection as a key component of food self‑sufficiency.

The government is targeting each region to designate LP2B for 87 percent of the total Protected Rice Fields (LSD). In South Sulawesi, the achievement has already exceeded the target, with LP2B designation reaching 88.05 percent.

Minister Nusron emphasized that land outside LP2B areas cannot be freely converted. The use of non‑LP2B land for other purposes must still go through a permit mechanism to control land‑use changes.

“It’s permissible to use it, but not freely. You still have to apply for a permit to use non‑LP2B land for other purposes. This is to prevent reckless conversion,” he said.

To strengthen protection, the ATR/BPN Ministry has asked regency and city administrations to immediately integrate the LP2B designation into Regional Spatial Plans (RTRW) and expedite the preparation of Detailed Spatial Plans (RDTR).

The central government has increased the budget to support the preparation of RTRWs in 104 regencies/cities and 400 RDTRs nationwide. Regions that have not yet completed their spatial planning documents are urged to submit proposals to help South Sulawesi achieve 100 percent RDTR coverage by 2028.

The commitment to protecting agricultural land was also demonstrated through the signing of the LP2B Determination Minutes by regents and mayors in South Sulawesi. ***