PALMOILMAGAZINE, BOGOR — President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to food and energy self-sufficiency, stressing that national development is not about the ambition to become a wealthy country alone, but about ensuring all Indonesians enjoy a decent quality of life.
The statement was delivered during his address at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of Central and Regional Governments at the Sentul International Convention Center (SICC), Bogor, West Java, on Monday (February 2, 2026).
Prabowo said the government has laid out a comprehensive development framework he described as a national transformation strategy, designed to steer Indonesia toward becoming a modern and advanced nation with a clear focus on improving people’s living standards.
“We are not dreaming of merely becoming a high-income country. We are not trying to live like other nations. What we want is simple: that all our people live with a good quality of life,” Prabowo said.
He explained that quality of life includes access to healthcare, proper education for children, and sufficient income for families. This overarching framework is translated into eight core strategies, derived from 17 priority programs and a set of fast-track flagship initiatives.
However, Prabowo emphasized that all strategies ultimately converge on one non-negotiable objective: food self-sufficiency and energy independence.
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“Whether we like it or not, we must achieve food self-sufficiency. There is no true independence if we cannot guarantee food production. If we want prosperity, our people must enjoy the food produced by our own nation,” he said.
He added that food independence is the foundation of genuine sovereignty. Once secured, Indonesia must also be able to stand on its own in the energy sector.
Palm Oil’s Strategic Role
Within this context, Prabowo highlighted the strategic importance of palm oil, calling it an extraordinary commodity and deserving of the label “miracle crop.” He said palm oil’s strength lies not only in cooking oil production, but also in its vast downstream potential.
“Palm oil is not just for cooking oil. Its derivatives range from food and soap to energy. From palm oil, we can produce biodiesel that gives us freedom and independence,” he said.
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Prabowo noted that expanding palm oil-based biodiesel would save Indonesia billions of dollars in foreign exchange while reducing reliance on imported fuels. He stressed that Indonesia has a real choice not to remain dependent on global gasoline prices, given its abundant domestic palm-based energy resources.
Keeping Economic Value at Home
Prabowo further explained that food and energy self-sufficiency would bring structural changes to the national economy, particularly by reversing long-standing financial flows from rural areas to cities, to the capital, and even overseas.
“With this strategy, money must circulate in villages, in the regions, and within our own country,” he said.
As part of efforts to improve human capital, Prabowo once again underscored the importance of the free nutritious meal program. He described adequate child nutrition as a long-term investment that is inseparable from the broader national transformation agenda.
“Our children must eat enough and eat nutritious food. That is the basic requirement for building the nation’s future,” he concluded. (P2)
