Top 10 Regencies in Central Java with the Highest Food Security

Based on data from the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Sukoharjo Regency has the highest food security compared to dozens of other regencies in Central 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 a food expenditure proportion >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 the number of people 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 the food security of a region is assumed to be.

Using this method, Sukoharjo Regency achieved a score of 89.11 in 2021, the highest among the 29 Central Java regencies researched by Bapanas.

Sukoharjo Regency achieved a high score due to various factors, one of which is the NCPR ratio of 0.49, which represents a high surplus condition in the production of cereals and tubers, as well as regional government rice stocks.

Food prices in Sukoharjo are also relatively more affordable than in neighboring regencies. In Sukoharjo, 13.7% of households have a food expenditure ratio >65% of total expenditure. Meanwhile, in other Central Java regencies, the proportion of households with this criterion is generally higher, reaching 20% to 30%.

After Sukoharjo, the regencies with the highest food security index in Central Java are Wonogiri, Pati, Sragen, Karanganyar, Demak, Grobogan, Kudus, Blora, and Semarang Regency, with details of the scores as shown in the graph above.