Timorexotic.com|| In an effort to cultivate synergy and collaboration, the National Food Agency (NFA) is set to host a series of activities in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province on Saturday, August 12, 2023. Under the theme 'Synergy and Collaboration for Food Independence', NFA aims to engage the Kupang community in collaboration with the NTT Provincial Government and the Kupang City Government.
Taking place at the Governor's Office Square in NTT and starting at 6:00 AM local time, NFA invites the public to participate in this grand event. Activities planned include morning exercises, a breakfast featuring the B2SA menu, providing food assistance to Stunting Risk Families, B2SA in Action with storyteller Kak Tony, the NTT Culinary Festival, and a Local Food Showcase.
Moreover, the Affordable Food Movement (GPM) will also be present, offering various essential food items at more affordable prices, including rice, sugar, eggs, shallots, garlic, cooking oil, and more.
"NFA consistently holds GPM events across different regions, as the cost of essential food items is a significant concern for President Joko Widodo. For the people of Kupang, this event allows them to access affordable food items, thus aiding them in purchasing essential groceries at reasonable prices," explained NFA Head Arief Prasetyo Adi in a statement on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, in Jakarta.
Prior to shopping at the GPM, the Kupang community is invited to join a morning exercise session. Following the exercise, around 15,000 boiled eggs will be provided for communal consumption. NFA encourages the love for eggs as a way to fulfill nutritional needs and prevent stunting. Eggs, rich in nutrients, can play a vital role in growth, helping Indonesians avoid stunting.
Furthermore, NFA is actively combatting stunting by distributing food aid in the form of chicken meat and eggs. This aid will be given to approximately 700 Stunting Risk Families (KRS) residing in Kupang, comprising 1 kg of frozen chicken meat and 10 eggs per package.
This food aid initiative is a government task executed by NFA, with management and distribution handled by ID FOOD and PT Pos Indonesia. The aid targets 1.4 million KRS across 7 provinces with high stunting prevalence: Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Sulawesi, North Sumatra, and, of course, NTT.
NFA is also promoting local resource-based food diversification as part of its food security strategy. In this event, NTT's local specialty, "jagung bose" (corn with sei sapi filling) and fish paired with moringa leaves and fresh fruit juice, is introduced as a breakfast menu.
"This is part of our ongoing campaign for B2SA (Diverse, Balanced, Nutritious, and Safe) that we consistently convey, introduce, and internalize within various layers of society. Food diversification is critical as it forms the foundation of food security and encourages self-reliance in food. This aligns with President Joko Widodo's directive to strengthen regional food self-reliance by developing locally-based food sources," elaborated Arief.
Children are a focal point for internalizing local resource-based food diversification. Hence, NFA has included B2SA in Action, a storytelling session about B2SA food, presented by Kak Tony and Cihuy, an alumnus of Indonesia's Got Talent 2022, as part of the event.
Educating children about diverse food options through storytelling is engaging and entertaining, enabling younger generations to recognize the importance of consuming B2SA food for a healthy, active, and productive life.
"The spirit of food independence resonates as we celebrate the 78th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia's independence. This is an opportune moment to build strong synergies with all food stakeholders. Our shared hope is to maintain food inflation, control price stability, ensure sufficient food availability, diversity, and secure consumption safety," concluded Arief.
