Top 10 Regencies in East Java with the Highest Food Security

Based on data from the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Gresik Regency has the highest food security compared to dozens of other regencies in East Java Province.

According to Law No. 18 of 2012, food security is the condition of sufficient food availability for the nation down to individuals, reflected in the availability of sufficient food, both in quantity and quality, safe, diverse, nutritious, equitable, and affordable, and not contrary to the religion, beliefs, and culture of the community, to enable a healthy, active, and productive life sustainably.

Bapanas measures the food security index in Indonesian regencies based on nine main indicators, namely:

1. *Normative Consumption Production Ratio* (NCPR) or the ratio of normative per capita consumption to net production of rice, corn, sweet potatoes, and cassava, as well as regional government rice stocks;
2. Percentage of the population living below the poverty line;
3. Percentage of households with food expenditure >65% of total expenditure;
4. Percentage of households without access to electricity;
5. Percentage of households without access to clean water;
6. Life expectancy at birth;
7. Ratio of population per health worker to population density;
8. Average years of schooling for women over 15 years old; and
9. Percentage of underweight children (stunting).

These indicators are then processed into a score on a scale of 0-100. The higher the score, the better a region's food security is assumed to be.

Using this method, Gresik Regency achieved a score of 86.81 in 2021, the highest among the 29 East Java regencies researched by Bapanas.

Gresik Regency achieved a high score due to various factors, especially the availability of clean water, which is considered very good.

In Gresik, the percentage of households without access to clean water is only 2.71%. Meanwhile, in other East Java regencies, the percentage of households with this criterion is in the range of 10% to 39%.

Food prices in Gresik are also relatively more affordable than in neighboring regencies.

In Gresik, 18.54% of households have a food expenditure ratio of >65% of total expenditure. Meanwhile, in other East Java regencies, the proportion of households with this criterion is generally higher, ranging from 20% to 58%.

After Gresik, the regencies with the highest food security index in East Java are Magetan, Ponorogo, Tulungagung, Lamongan, Ngawi, Blitar, Mojokerto, Madiun, and Jombang, with the score details as shown in the graph above.