China’s Business Leaders Show Interest in Supporting Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals Program
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JAKARTA, investortrust.id – Chinese business leaders are showing growing interest in supporting Indonesia’s flagship Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, a top priority for President Prabowo Subianto, according to Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Chairman Anindya Bakrie.
Speaking after a state luncheon hosted by President Prabowo for Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Merdeka Palace on Sunday, May 25, 2025, Bakrie said that Chinese companies saw the MBG initiative as a breakthrough that could simultaneously enhance human capital and accelerate the industrialization of Indonesia’s agricultural sector.
"The program is a long-term investment in our human resources—80 million children and pregnant mothers will receive nutritious meals daily. At the same time, this effort can modernize our agricultural supply chains," said Bakrie.
President Prabowo has set an ambitious target for the MBG program to reach 80 million beneficiaries by the end of this year. Meeting that goal requires delivering 80 million eggs, 80 million servings of chicken, and a comparable volume of carbohydrates every day.
According to Bakrie, this massive demand has attracted the attention of Chinese firms, many of which are keen to contribute through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. “They’ve taken note of our MBG gotong royong (collective action) model—what we call MBG as a service. Essentially, it means contributors can sponsor meal packages,” he said, adding that a formal prototype is expected before Indonesia’s Independence Day on Aug. 17.
Kadin aims to establish 1,000 Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG), or MBG kitchens, across the country. These community kitchens will be partially funded by CSR contributions from Chinese companies. Beyond logistics support, Bakrie noted that some Chinese firms are exploring more sustainable, localized partnerships.
“They’re not just interested in supplying imported goods—they’re considering investing in domestic agriculture, plantations, and food production,” he said. “And crucially, they’re also looking at ways to improve logistics infrastructure to make this entire effort more efficient.”