Local foods development to achieve food security in Papua Province, Indonesia

Abstract

This study describes the problem of high dependency on rice consumption in Papua while Papua has several local foods as alternative sources of carbohydrate. The study focuses on Papua province as the region that has many potential on local-non rice food like corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes, which then selected as the study objects. A ten-year series of data from 2006 to 2015 was obtained from BPS (Central Bureau of Statistics) and analyzed in this study. The results show that the development of local food was relatively slower in Papua Province compared to the national level, except for fish development. It is observed that the program to increase rice production is very intensive while the program to increase local food production has not been a concern of the local government. Programs to increase production, develop cultivation, production, and processing technologies are biased to rice production, resulting in the food diversification program trough local food development is likely difficult to be realized. Papua Province has a comparative advantage in local food because it is supported by the potential of natural resources and the culture of local community. Local food must be encouraged and promoted as-a major, healthy food source and at the same time, support the realization of food diversification programs in Indonesia.