Building the Evidence
Working with the Ministry of Health and other partners, GAIN conducted a comprehensive analysis of the rice supply chain to identifying opportunities and bottlenecks for fortification at scale. Using data from the 2023 national socio-economic survey (Susenas) and individual food consumption survey (SKMI) 2014, the Micronutrient Gap Analysis revealed that even when calorie intake is sufficient, many Indonesians, particularly in low-income households, lack key vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, folic acid and several types of Vitamin B. The findings highlighted that the gap needs to be addressed by adding nutrients to a vehicle (in this case, rice) and rice fortification as a practical and impactful solution to close nutrient gaps across income levels. This way, GAIN built a strong evidence base to inform policy and programming.
Evidence to Policy
However, evidence alone does not drive change. GAIN worked hand-in-hand with the government and academia to turn research into policy. GAIN, along with partners developed a policy brief and roadmap outlining practical steps to integrate fortified rice into social protection programmes. GAIN also supported advocacy dialogues feeding into the national medium-term development plan (RPJMN) 2025–2029, ensuring rice fortification became part of Indonesia’s broader food systems transformation agenda where 100% of rice food assistance will be fortified by 2029.
Parallely, GAIN also provided technical support to the Ministry of Health in drafting the micronutrient enrichment composition standards for rice fortification and become an active member of the Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Forum, a national platform that brings together government, private sector, and development partners. Once adopted, these standards will anchor a common specification for fortified rice used in food assistance programmes, helping to ensure consistent quality, align formulations with population nutritional needs, and create a more transparent and cost-efficient procurement system. By setting a mandatory reference point, the standards can support fairer pricing across suppliers and strengthen accountability in the delivery of fortified rice through social protection.
Policy to Practice
To move from policy to practice, GAIN partnered with NFA on pilots and effectiveness studies to test fortified rice distribution within social protection. These included sensory evaluations and acceptability testing to ensure the product met consumer preferences. To address risks such as resale, GAIN applied its HCD-based BCC approach to build public trust and encourage proper use.
Importantly, the pilot also influenced food assistance beyond the national programme. In 2025, Bogor District allocated its own budget to reach 300 households with fortified rice and has committed to scaling up to 1,000 households in 2026. This local adoption demonstrates how national pilots can catalyse subnational investment and accelerate the transition toward nutrition-sensitive social protection.
Through these efforts, GAIN helped bridge data, policy, and implementation, working alongside government and partners to make nutrition-sensitive social protection a reality for Indonesia.
Investing in the Future
Indonesia’ social protection system is extensive, reaching over 50 million households and 40 million students in 2025 through programmes such as Non-Cash Food Assistance (Bantuan Pangan Non-Tunai, BPNT), the Free Nutritious Food Programme (Makan Bergizi Gratis, MBG), and the food assistance from Rice Reserves Programme (Cadangan Pangan Pemerintah, CPP). While BPNT provides vouchers or cash transfers, MBG and CPP directly distribute food, making them ideal entry points for fortified rice integration. Leveraging these platforms can transform social protection from a basic safety net into a powerful tool for improving nutrition and public health.
To achieve national scale, Indonesia must take several key steps:
- Secure sustained public financing for fortified rice procurement, monitoring, and quality assurance within social protection programmes, ensuring predictable budgeting and long-term program continuity.
- Leverage blended financing and public-private partnership that combine government purchasing power with private sector investment.
- Expand production capacity by strengthen rice millers’ ability to produce fortified rice at scale ensuring reliable access to fortified rice kernels and reinforcing quality assurance systems.
- Strengthen end to end supply chain performance through improved logistics, distribution efficiency, and consistent product standards to support nationwide delivery.
- Together, these measures can help create a stable and sustainable fortified rice market, supporting Indonesia’s vision of resilient food systems and stronger human capital.