Berau: The Regency with the Highest Food Security in East Kalimantan

Based on data from the National Food Agency (Bapanas), of the seven regencies in East Kalimantan Province, Berau Regency has the highest food security.

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 be able to live healthy, active, and productive 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 per capita normative consumption to the 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 a region's food security is assumed to be.

Using this method, Berau Regency achieved a score of 86.16 in 2021, the highest among its neighboring regencies.

Berau Regency achieved a high score due to several factors, one of which is its relatively low poverty rate.

In 2021, the percentage of the poor population in Berau was only 5.88%. This figure falls into the very good category and is the lowest compared to other regencies in East Kalimantan, where the poverty percentage ranges from 7% to 11%.

The population of Berau also has relatively easier access to food than the population of neighboring regencies.

In 2021, only 7.88% of Berau households had a food expenditure ratio >65% of total expenditure. Meanwhile, in neighboring regencies, this percentage is higher, ranging from 8% to 20%.

Mahakam Ulu is the only regency in East Kalimantan that is categorized as a vulnerable area.

A regency is considered vulnerable to food insecurity if it obtains an index score of 59.98 or below.

Mahakam Ulu obtained a low index score because its NCPR ratio is 5, indicating a high deficit in the production of cereals and tubers, as well as regional government rice stocks.