Jakarta Goes Big on Rice Alternatives to Boost Food Resilience
Reported by Aldi Geri Lumban Tobing | Translated by Nugroho Adibrata
The Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Agency (KPKP) is rolling out a massive initiative to plant rice-alternative crops across the capital.
This will serve as the foundation for a massive
The program is currently being finalized, with a City Secretary Instruction being drafted to serve as the official legal framework for its implementation.
Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Agency Head, Iwan Indriyanto stated that the regulation is targeted for completion and issuance by July 2026.
Cooking Oil Prices Trend Upward, Prompting Calls for Stringent Surveillance“The city is currently drafting a City Secretary Instruction. This will serve as the foundation for a massive, city-wide planting movement for rice-alternative crops,” he expressed, Thursday (7/23).
Beyond maximizing current land use, the agency is inventorying idle government-owned land to expand the cultivation of rice alternatives.
“We're focused on two things: optimizing what we have and surveying idle provincial assets that can be turned into cultivation hubs. We are in the home stretch and expect the directive to be published in July 2026,” he added.
The rice-alternative initiative has already hit the ground running across Jakarta, even as the official City Secretary Instruction is still being drafted.
“We’ve initiated massive planting activities throughout the city ahead of the formal mandate. A ceremonial launch will be held soon to mark its official start,” he explained.
Jakarta is eyeing over five hectares of potential land for the initiative. While these sites are spread throughout the city, the government is actively inventorying every available plot.
Size is not a barrier, as the provincial government has not set a minimum area limit. Any space that is plantable and legally clear for use can be turned into a cultivation hub.
“We don’t have a fixed size limit. As long as the land can be planted and complies with asset regulations, we’ll make the most of it," he said.
