Indonesia to develop "nutripreneurs" to support free meals program

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ministry aims to strengthen the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program by fostering "nutripreneurs"—entrepreneurs with expertise in nutrition fulfillment—in collaboration with the Indonesia Nutritionists Association (Persagi).

“We welcome Persagi’s initiative to forge cooperation aimed at encouraging the emergence of nutripreneurs who offer nutrition-related expertise while running businesses to contribute to regional economies,” said Riza Adha Damanik, the ministry’s deputy for entrepreneurship, in Surabaya, East Java.

Speaking during Persagi’s second national scientific meeting on Friday, he outlined three government measures to support the initiative: strengthening business incubation, collecting through the SAPA UMKM platform, and collaborating with universities specializing in health.

He noted business incubation as a key step in providing entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, and broader access to financing.

Furthermore, he explained that the government uses the mobile app SAPA UMKM as an instrument to collect accurate data on MSME actors in a bid to provide tailored and inclusive business assistance, with a focus on the food sector.

Damanik also highlighted East Java’s success in expanding the reach of the MBG program through the involvement and empowerment of farmers, fishers, livestock breeders, planters, market merchants, and MSMEs.

“This scheme not only improves the nutritional quality of the community but also stimulates economic activity in the region,” he said.

Persagi Chairman Doddy Izwardy explained that collaborating with the MSMEs Ministry forms part of a broader strategy to support the betterment of nutritional intake through the alignment of nutritional science and entrepreneurship.

He underlined the association’s commitment to promoting a scientific approach to improving MBG implementation to ensure lasting impacts.

Izwardy added that Persagi plans to compile recommendations from the national scientific meeting for submission to the government to support nutrition improvement and childhood stunting reduction as part of efforts toward the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.

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Translator: Indra/Naufal, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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