By Eva Fauzyah Rahmah
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| MBG Silent food waste crisis. Illustration of food waste by Foodista |
Every morning, schools across Indonesia distribute free meals under the government's Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) program. Many of those meals are untouched by lunchtime—discarded into trash bins, uneaten, and wasted.
Now, environmental experts warn that the food waste generated by the program could reach a staggering 624,000 tons per year—enough to fill Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno stadium 10 times over.
While debates over nutrition, funding, and policy effectiveness dominate discussions around MBG, little attention has been given to its growing food waste crisis. Government estimates show that the program could release 200,760 tons of CO₂ equivalent annually, exacerbating Indonesia's carbon footprint and environmental degradation.
Beyond its environmental toll, MBG's unchecked food waste raises serious budgetary concerns. With millions of taxpayer-funded meals going uneaten, the question is not just whether MBG is feeding children—but how much of its budget is literally being thrown away.
An Overlooked Problem: How Much Food is Being Wasted?
Public reaction to MBG largely focuses on meal quality issues, from spoiled food to menus that students refuse to eat. Social media is flooded with images of untouched meal trays, while some schools report piles of uneaten fruit left to rot within hours of delivery.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Indonesia's school meal waste is driven by program scale, distribution efficiency, and consumer behavior. With an estimated 24 million elementary school students receiving free meals, even a modest assumption of 50 to 100 grams of food waste per student per day translates to 2,400 tons of wasted food daily.
Yet, there is no official tracking mechanism for food waste in MBG. Without data transparency, policymakers have little insight into how much of the program's budget is actually nourishing students—and how much is simply ending up in landfills.
The Environmental and Economic Toll
Food waste is one of the largest contributors to climate change, primarily due to methane emissions from decomposing organic matter in landfills. Methane (CH₄) is 25 times more potent than CO₂, making it a major driver of global warming. With over 200,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent emissions per year, MBG's waste problem risks contradicting Indonesia's climate commitments.
Beyond its environmental impact, food waste represents a severe economic inefficiency. If just 10% of MBG meals are wasted, the financial losses could reach hundreds of billions of rupiah annually. Given Indonesia's budget constraints, failing to address this issue is not just wasteful—it is irresponsible fiscal policy.
Why MBG is Producing So Much Waste
MBG's food waste crisis stems from several structural flaws. One of the most pressing is the lack of menu adaptation. The program does not account for students' dietary preferences, leading to widespread rejection of meals. Schools have no control over menu selection, and students are forced to accept standardized meals, whether they like them or not.
Rigid meal distribution further exacerbates waste. Unlike cafeteria-style programs where students choose their portions, MBG distributes prepackaged meals, often in fixed portions that may be too large—or simply unappealing—to students. With no flexibility in portion sizes, uneaten food piles up.
Logistical failures have also contributed to waste. Reports of spoiled food, rotten fruit, and contaminated meals indicate poor supply chain management. In many cases, schools receive food that is already past its best condition, making it unsafe for consumption. The lack of a national waste management strategy means that once food is discarded, it is not repurposed or redirected—it is simply lost.
How Other Countries Are Tackling School Meal Waste
While Indonesia has yet to address MBG's food waste problem, other countries have successfully implemented solutions to reduce school meal waste.
In Japan, the government has introduced Shokuiku (food education), which teaches students the value of food and encourages them to finish their meals. Schools also implement waste tracking systems, where students and teachers monitor leftovers daily to adjust meal planning.
In France, public institutions, including schools, are legally required to reduce food waste. Uneaten but safe food is redistributed to local food banks rather than discarded, ensuring public funds are not wasted.
In Sweden, schools allow students to serve themselves, ensuring they only take portions they can finish. Leftover meals are redirected to municipal community kitchens to support low-income families.
In South Korea, food waste is monitored and recycled. Many schools have waste-to-energy programs, where discarded food is converted into biogas or animal feed instead of being sent to landfills. Digital tracking systems also analyze student consumption patterns, helping schools adjust meal portions accordingly.
These global examples show that Indonesia does not need to start from scratch—it can learn from existing models to reduce MBG's waste and improve efficiency.
Policy Solutions: Fixing MBG Before It's Too Late
To prevent MBG from becoming one of Indonesia's largest food waste generators, the government must immediately adopt reforms to ensure the program's sustainability.
Indonesia must allow students to choose their meals instead of distributing rigid, prepackaged portions. Implementing a cafeteria-style meal system, as seen in Sweden and Japan, would significantly reduce rejection rates and meal waste.
The government must also improve supply chain management to reduce spoilage. This requires better quality control, real-time supplier oversight, and a direct reporting mechanism for schools to flag substandard meals.
Mandatory food waste tracking and reporting should be incorporated into MBG's evaluation framework. Schools must record uneaten meals, and waste reduction targets should be part of MBG's performance indicators.
Finally, repurposing uneaten food should be a key priority. Safe, untouched meals should be redirected to food banks, while discarded food should be converted into compost or biogas, following South Korea's model.
Final Thoughts: Will the Government Act?
MBG was introduced as a landmark policy to improve children's nutrition, but its failure to incorporate waste management policies has led to an unintended crisis. With hundreds of thousands of tons of food going to waste annually, the program is fast becoming a symbol of inefficiency rather than a solution to malnutrition.
Indonesia is not the first country to struggle with food waste in school meal programs. Others have successfully implemented waste reduction policies—and so can Indonesia.
If the government wants MBG to be more than just a political trophy, it must act now—implementing stricter oversight, food waste monitoring, and flexible meal distribution systems. MBG risks becoming a costly failure rather than a sustainable solution without immediate reforms.
The choice is clear: fix MBG now—or let it become Indonesia's next policy disaster.
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