Indonesia seeks to wean people off rice

Rice is the staple food for almost half the world's people, including the 240 million people in Indonesia. However, with concerns about public health and food sustainability, the Indonesian government is trying to wean people off their beloved staple. Recently, the Welfare Ministry suggested people eat other carbohydrates, like corn and cassava, instead of rice. But will substituting one carbohydrate for another really help ensure future food supplies?

Presenter: Sajithra Nithi
Speakers: Dr Robert Zeigler, Director-General International Rice Research Institute, Philippines; Dr Hasil Sembiring, Director of the Indonesian Centre for Food Crop Research and Development

• Listen:
• Windows Media

NITHI: On average, an Indonesian person eats almost 139 kilograms of rice every year. That's more than the amount of rice eaten by the average person in Japan or China.

However, changing global weather patterns, population growth and decreasing availability of farm land have all led to concerns about the long-term sustainability of rice as a staple food.

And the Indonesian Government is now encouraging people to diversify their diets by trying to replace rice with other carbohydrates on a daily basis.
There are 66 alternatives, the government says, including potatoes, corn, sago and cassava.

Dr Hasil Sembiring is Director of the Indonesian Centre for Food Crop Research and Development. He says this is an exciting program.

SEMBIRING: I think it's exciting because it's not only in terms of we're not able to produce rice; but you know, this is also I think a part of education you know, the only source of carbohydrate is not only rice.

NITHI: And Dr Sembiring says Indonesians appear willing to divert from rice.

SEMBIRING: This will not be for everybody, you know, if you go to the city people for example, they're not protesting on this; they're trying not to eat rice at night for example. They're using another carbohydrate.

NITHI: He says there's an added benefit of reduced local consumption of rice.

SEMBIRING: If this program is effective then we would like reduce from 139 kg per capita per year of rice consumption to be, like for example, 100kg per capita per year in 2015 for example, then Indonesia can maybe export rice to the other countries.

NITHI: But questions have been raised about the Indonesian Government's motive behind the push away from rice.

This is Dr Robert Zeigler is Director-General of the International Rice Research Institute, based in the Philippines.

ZEIGLER: Now if the reason for that is to diversify the nutrition of the population I think that's quite a noble, worthy effort. But I would hestitate to substitute one carbohydrate for another. I would look more to diversifyng the nature of the diet in terms of fruits and vegetables, but also improving the various nutritional dimensions of rice.

NITHI: Dr Zeigler also says it would be better for government policy to be directed towards production rather than consumption, when considering sustainability.

ZEIGLER: It's extremely important for the country to look at its policies towards its farmers and efforts/aspects? of maintaining productivity growth on their existing lands. I don't think they want to be converting out of rice lands in to others nor do I think they want to be opening new lands for rice or other crops. I think the key is to look at increasing productivity on the existing lands.