Comparing national food security policies in Indonesia and Thailand: a systematic meta-synthesis approach

Abstract

Using a systematic meta-synthesis approach, this study compares Indonesia and Thailand’s national food security policies. The study focuses on three main aspects, namely food distribution networks, infrastructure development, policy resilience and sustainability. A thematic analysis was conducted on various official sources and the latest scientific literature, including FAO, World Bank, and Global Food Security Index reports. The study results show that Indonesia tends to apply a state-based protectionism model emphasizing irrigation and food self-sufficiency. At the same time, Thailand adopts an export-oriented strategy with the support of cooperatives and foreign investment. These findings indicate a paradigm shift between developmental statism and agrarian neoliberalism approaches. This study emphasizes integrating food security theories such as the entitlement approach (Sen) and institutional analysis (Ostrom) to understand policy divergence patterns in Southeast Asia. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to building a hybrid conceptual model of food security for Global South countries. However, this study has limitations, including a literature scope that remains focused on the ASEAN region and the absence of primary field data, leaving room for further research to expand the empirical database.