Our recent survey –carried out by our partner the Indonesian Consumers Foundation/YLKI- in 2018 found that people in Solo spent around 60% of their expenditure on food. Around 11% of the population live below the poverty line, earning less than Rp 1 million per month, which means that low-income households only have around Rp 13,000 (less than 2 Euro) to buy food. As food security is dependent on household purchasing power, it is fair to say that low-income residents are food insecure and they struggle to meet basic food needs.
Food insecurity is also associated with undernutrition. Households with low food security are more likely to consume food with reduced quality, variety, and desirability of diets that can cause undernutrition. In the long term, undernutrition can lead to the development of non-communicable diseases (NCD) such as obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. Based on a report by World Health Organisation (2018), NCDs are estimated to account for 71% of total deaths in Indonesia.
Another key factor contributing to nutrition insecurity is food illiteracy. The survey by YLKI further discovered that Solo residents’ understanding of a balanced diet stood at below 60%. Consequently, people consumed food high in carbohydrates and sugar, yet low in protein and fibre. The majority of respondents opted for white rice and instant noodles for their main food, instead choosing an alternative healthier option such as red rice. Vegetable consumption was also reported low with less than 43% of observed households serving vegetables with their meals every day.
Indonesia's fruit and vegetable consumption is 180 gram per capita per day, below the WHO’s standard of 400 gram per capita per day. With the aforementioned figures and findings, urban farming can offer a sustainable solution to these pressing problems.