Feeding Change: Rethinking Makan Bergizi Gratis for Sustainable Food Systems Transformation

The Ruang Dialog Briefing Paper is a complementary publication to our biannual webinar series.

In response to the growing public discourse around the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program, as well as concerns around its design and implementation, this Briefing Paper builds upon the discussion from the Ruang Dialog session held on March 19, 2025, “Optimizing the Makan Bergizi Gratis Model for Health & Climate: Which Metrics Matter Most?”. It examines the MBG program in Indonesia through the lens of food systems, drawing insights from environmental advocates, food systems scholars, and public policy experts.

Developed in collaboration with Think Policy, Yayasan Koordinasi Pengkajian & Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Alam (Koppesda), the School of Life Sciences and Technology at Institut Teknologi Bandung, and the Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Science at IPB University, this Briefing paper revisits MBG in light of pressing climate and health imperatives.

This Briefing Paper is intended as a resource for a wide range of audiences—from curious individuals and educators to advocates and policymakers. It aims to encourage collective action that supports the evolution of MBG beyond a populist promise into a truly transformative force in building sustainable food systems in Indonesia.

Keywords: Makan Bergizi Gratis, school meal programs, universal free school meals, sustainable food systems transformation, Indonesian food systems

Key takeaways

  • Unlike most school meal programs (SMP) or universal free school meals (UFSM), MBG adopts a broader scope, targeting four key population groups: 1) all school-aged children—from early childhood education to high school or equivalent—through phased implementation; 2) children under five; 3) pregnant women; and 4) breastfeeding mothers. While this expansive coverage reflects a bold policy vision, it also brings with it significant complexity.

    When analyzed through a food systems lens, the design and implementation of MBG raise several governance and structural challenges. As a national food program, MBG faces systemic challenges that undermine its effectiveness, which reflect four food systems governance failures: lack of a shared vision, weak strategic planning and policies, ineffective implementation, and poor accountability mechanisms. Since its rollout, public scrutiny has intensified around various aspects, including the composition and sourcing of meal menus, the proportion of food groups relative to the Nutritional Adequacy Figures (Angka Kecukupan Gizi, AKG), and adherence to food safety standards. Compared to globally successful SMPs or UFSMs, MBG lacks an integrated and coordinated governance framework.

    To realize its transformative potential, MBG must be embedded within a coherent national strategy that aligns with the broader sustainable food systems transformation agenda. This requires addressing foundational governance issues while aligning the program with three core national commitments: food systems policy, nutrition targets, and climate goals.

    1) Food systems policy.

    MBG should be evaluated in reference to existing legal and regulatory frameworks—most notably, Law No. 18 of 2012 on Food (UU 18/2012) and Presidential Regulation No. 81 of 2024 on the Acceleration of Food Diversification Based on Local Resource Potential (Perpres 81/2024). These frameworks promote food diversification, local food production, and improved nutrition.

    2) Nutrition targets.

    Indonesia continues to face the triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. Although MBG references Regulation of the Minister of Health No. 28 of 2019 (Permenkes 28/2019) on Recommended Dietary Allowance, its M&E framework does not yet include mechanisms to track the quality or nutritional adequacy of meals at scale. To address this gap, MBG must expand its monitoring scope beyond traditional indicators like stunting and wasting. Given the growing rates of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents, nutrition tracking must also include metrics that reflect emerging dietary risks and support the achievement of national health and nutrition targets.

    3) Climate goals.

    Addressing food systems without considering climate resilience is no longer viable. Indonesia’s 2022 Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) highlight agriculture, land use, and food systems as key areas for emission reduction and climate adaptation. MBG can contribute to these goals by promoting the use of nutrient-dense, low-emission foods, reducing food loss and waste throughout the supply chain, or encouraging energy-efficient practices in food preparation and distribution.

  • MBG urgently needs a clearly articulated Theory of Change (ToC) to define the core problem it seeks to address and to guide the selection of relevant, context-sensitive metrics. Without a shared understanding of purpose, MBG suffers from fragmented objectives and inconsistent implementation. A well-developed ToC would serve as a unifying framework, aligning stakeholders around common goals, clarifying intended outcomes, and informing the development of a meaningful, evidence-based monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system capable of driving systemic change.

    In response to the increasing trends of biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and the triple burden of malnutrition, the development of sustainable healthy menus stands out as a core program component within MBG that can contribute to sustainable food systems transformation. Current Indonesian diets are characterized by a heavy reliance on rice and poor dietary diversity, and sustainable healthy menus could thus aim to correct this imbalance by ensuring meals are nutritionally adequate while remaining within the per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target for 2050. These menus can be informed by the Planetary Health Diet framework and adapted to reflect local nutritional needs, demographic profiles, and geographic contexts—whether urban, peri-urban, rural, or coastal.

    Another high-impact activity is the integration of food education into school curricula as a complementary program to MBG. Research shows that pairing sustainable menu initiatives with food literacy education significantly enhances student health outcomes. Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for shaping long-term dietary behavior, and when students are exposed to engaging, experiential food education—such as gardening, cooking, or farm visits—they not only develop healthier food preferences but also cultivate a deeper appreciation for nature, local food systems, and the people within food systems. In this way, embedded food education complements nutritional and environmental goals and reinforces MBG’s potential as a catalyst for systemic change toward sustainable food systems in Indonesia.

  • An articulated ToC is only as effective as the mechanisms put in place to implement it. Once a clear ToC is established, it must be operationalized through well-defined metrics paired with target values and time frames—short-, medium-, or long-term—to guide effective implementation. This level of specificity is essential for aligning local implementation with national goals, ensuring a shared understanding of the program’s objectives and what constitutes success.

    For example, the percentage of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in school meals should be explicitly targeted for significant reduction, ideally approaching zero. Unlike educational outcomes, which may take years to manifest, a decrease in UPF consumption is a measurable short-term output that can serve as an early indicator of program performance. Without clear targets and timelines, there is a risk that metrics will be misinterpreted or inconsistently applied by implementers, undermining the program’s effectiveness and its potential to drive meaningful change.

  • Indonesia stands at a critical juncture to rethink its approach to food systems. As the country’s first UFSM program, MBG represents a strategic opportunity to address multiple, intersecting challenges: malnutrition in all its forms, educational disparities, climate vulnerability, and rural economic marginalization. While MBG holds significant transformative potential, realizing that potential requires moving beyond short-term delivery metrics or populist appeal. Its long-term success depends on the extent to which it reflects the core principles of effective food systems governance: a shared vision, strategic policy and planning, coordinated implementation, and strong accountability mechanisms.

    Because food is more than a means to alleviate hunger.

    It carries with it deep social, cultural, and place-based significance. These dimensions must be recognized and meaningfully incorporated into the design, delivery, and M&E of MBG. To contribute to sustainable food systems transformation, meals should not only meet nutritional and environmental standards but also reflect local food traditions, resonate with cultural identities, and strengthen local economies.

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