Antara News·Indonesia·Friday, September 25, 2026 at 03:29 PM

Indonesia, JICA develop MBG Pilot with Japan's food education approach

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Bayu Prasetyo

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are developing the MBG-JICA Pilot to explore the application of shokuiku, or food and nutrition education, to enrich students' experience under Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program.

BGN Deputy for Systems and Governance Prima Yosephine Berliana Tumiur Hutapea said in Jakarta on Friday that Japan's experience could serve as a reference for enriching students' experience in the implementation of MBG.

"We are looking at how the shokuiku approach can enrich children's experience in participating in school meal programs. Food is therefore not merely received and consumed, but can also become part of the learning process about food, nutrition, and the parties involved in providing it," Prima said.

The approach draws on Japan's experience in integrating food and nutrition education with school meal programs. In Japan, shokuiku has been developed as an approach to food and nutrition education that focuses on students' knowledge and practical experiences in learning about food and nutrition.

The MBG-JICA Pilot focuses on several areas for further study, including reducing food waste and leftovers, improving food delivery and serving processes, strengthening student participation in school meal activities, and providing food and nutrition education.

The program consists of two complementary components: a shokkan trial at the Nutrition Provision Service Unit (SPPG) level and shokuiku activities at the school level.

Through the shokkan trial, learning focuses on experiences at the food service provision level, while shokuiku activities at schools provide opportunities to strengthen students' understanding of food and nutrition through practical experiences.

Prima said the two approaches are expected to provide a more comprehensive perspective by connecting the food provision process with students' experiences as beneficiaries.

"We want to examine the connection between what happens at the SPPG level and children's experiences when they receive and consume meals at school," she said.

The development of the MBG-JICA Pilot also provides an opportunity to examine how school meal programs can encourage student participation. This includes students' experiences during mealtimes, their understanding of the food they consume, and their awareness of the processes and people involved in providing the meals.

"We hope that lessons from Japan can serve as a reference for continuing to develop MBG in accordance with the Indonesian context. We want to ensure that the experience students gain through MBG also gives them a better understanding of food and nutrition," Prima said.

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