For Youth who judge rice

Source: https://img.antaranews.com/cache/730x487/2020/04/29/antarafoto-produksi-beras-di-indonesia-290420-ysw-2a.jpg

All of us justify rice as the only one staple food which symbolize prosperity. Without rice we could not decide we are well fed on that day. In contrary we never realize that the habit will bring consequences in the future, probably some generation ahead. I know that we are all seems to be not responsible to what happened in the future. We responsible for our lives, our current live today. When we died, the responsibility also will vanish. Nevertheless, as species we have a huge responsibility for what will happen in the future, it is only if you care. 

Let me start when European come to Indonesia with initial mission to trade spices, they saw a green treasure in Indonesia. The motive to colonialize the nation come in the middle, they saw that they have the resources to monopolize what we have. 

Source :kemendikbud.go.id

On that year, the way we eat also got altered when the culture mix between European people and Indonesian people. VOC (Verenidge Oostindische Compagnie) which initially assigned to trade, flipped into cash-flow maker to the Europe colonizers and feed their people using the land of ours. The changes affect many components in our culture including how we eat. Some of us maybe ever heard of Rijstaffel which means rice on the table. Previously indigenous people never eat rice served on the table. The European then introduce table manner to us then until now most us, use table to eat along with the spoon and fork until today. We already have rice actually at the time, and that is why rice is a better option for colonizers rather than potatoes and wheat which were not plentiful. 

The percentage of what they (Indonesian people) consume at time was not recorded, but not until the practice of cultursteelsel implemented. Indonesian were pushed to work unpaid, cultivate their own land with the guidance VOC. The program created by Johannes van den Bosch between 1780-1844. Each village were obliged to provide 20% of their farm land, to be cultivated with export commodity such as coffee, sugarcane, and tarum with fixed market and price. People who do not have farm land will also work for those who had the land. Many version arised for what the cultursteelsel told us. They also want us to plant Palm oil, Kina Plant, and rubber to supply the demand on the western country. Surprisingly the practice diverse what Indonesian initially eat. The laborious work for the other commodity reduce the time allocated to do the rice planting. People tend to plant others less intensive corps plant to cultivate, that also survive in dry soil, resistance with illness, fungi and pest. The recorded data between 1815-1940 informed us that initially planted rice were 79% and became 49%, means less domination in rice. The diversification happened there too. People consume more cassava, from 5% to 15%, and sweet potatoes from 7% to 25%. It is unconsciously told us that we are able to do diversification. Nutrition will come as trade off, less carbo, means more protein and vitamins, and it happened between the staple food I mention before. 

The turning point happened when we are proud to announce that we are free! yes I means freedom. The obsession toward rice come back. The glorification of rice upsurge until the benchmark for whoever eat rice will represent prosperity, socially firm family, rich, and respected. Our president realize that food is serious matter in the country and rice is already crowned as the program lighter on that cabinet. 

Source : https://akcdn.detik.net.id/customthumb/2015/03/07/297/mustikarasa02.jpg?w=700&q=90

It is not a joke when Soekarno said so. He established Food and Agriculture department which specialized to tackle food matters in the country in 1948. The department soon to be the fetus of BULOG (Badan Usaha Logistik) in Indonesia in 1967, I supposed that you are all know Bulog. Soekarno really wanted to established a food security in Indonesia. But, instead of secured food in Indonesia, in 1950 Food and Agriculture Organization reported that Indonesia had a food crisis. The crisis caused by the population increase that exceed more than the food production could follow. Soekarno then advocating the other crops that  considerably equivalent in nutrition content such as maize, sweet potatoes, cassavas, sorghum, peas, peanuts and taro to people in order the diversify food. Soeakrno also create Cookbook which describe how to process wide range of food available in Indonesia. The book entitled Moestika Rasa in 1959. The effort brought not so sweet result. The people still insist to consume rice as main staple food, the mindset still unchanged.

Worse condition happened in New order, under Soeharto presidency, rice become the king of all crops. The green revolution program lead many expert from around to world to review the correct variation of rice suitable to be planted in Indonesia. The bad news is the new variant were imported from foreign country, shifting the local rice that we have. Suspected that many of our genetic resources in rice vanished due that time. In between 1954 until 1981 the rice consumption increase dramatically from 53% to 81%. Rice based security just become a day dream at the moment when we should import rice from neighboring country. Government didn't just give their hands up on the program. They open many peatland to be converted into farm land more. The program ignite many conflict according to media and remain unclear until present. 

In 2010 the government initiate Merauke Integrated Rice Estate, the continuity of rice hegemony do not slow down. In Papua which people naturally eat sago palm as staple food, are pushed to plant and consume rice in order to the main and ultimate mission, Rice Security. The program evolved into Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate which more or less share the same goals. This 3.3 Trillions program is still in progress which many of the researchers are together with. Many media posted that the program fail, the research were not enough to succeed the program. 

Rice dependency could pull another catastrophe that maybe we cannot fathom. When time comes we are not ready and maybe the outbreak will be happened again. Maybe the price will up high that we cannot afford, or someday the rice is prohibited and we cannot eat rice any longer. We need you, innovative youth who accelerate against the odds in research, advocacy, innovation about food diversification. We all know it is not easy to change a mindset, but we have to prepare the upcoming newmindset in the future to be able to adapt and innovate, more than us and our predecessors. 

My deep gratitude to Ahmad Arif and Kedaulatan Pangan which the heart of this post and I hope more youth will realize how urgent out future is