The Indonesian government is taking bold, inclusive steps to promote sustainable economic development by positioning food self-sufficiency as a strategic pillar. Through Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2025, the government launched the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (KMP) program to empower local economies and ensure food security. With a goal of establishing 80,000 cooperatives nationwide, this initiative aims to reduce dependence on imports, strengthen local supply chains, and foster a resilient, community-based economy. In regions like West Sumatra, over a thousand cooperatives are being formed with strong collaboration between local governments, private sectors, and experienced entrepreneurs to ensure sustainability. These cooperatives are more than administrative entities—they are envisioned as active, productive economic hubs that bridge urban-rural disparities and provide real value to local communities.
President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the KMP is not just a bureaucratic effort but a transformative movement to make villages centers of inclusive growth. By involving laid-off professionals and local talents as cooperative managers, the program also functions as a reintegration platform for skilled labor. Leaders like Dedi Irwansa of East Java see vast potential, with cooperatives forecasted to generate up to Rp80 trillion annually, empowering MSMEs and increasing rural contributions to GDP. These cooperatives also play a vital role in food systems, from managing storage to stabilizing prices. The initiative marks a shift where villages are no longer on the sidelines but at the forefront of Indonesia's economic transformation, ensuring shared prosperity for all.
