The Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Ministry of PPN/Bappenas) and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) organized Seminar Session 1 as part of the journey towards the Conference on Sustainable Development through the National Free Nutritious Meal Program in 2025, with the theme “Education and Nutrition as the Foundation for Superior and Resilient Human Resources: The Strategic Role of the MBG Program.” This seminar was initiated in response to the need to share best practices, strengthen cross-sectoral coordination, and formulate strategic steps to accelerate MBG implementation in alignment with the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025-2029 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets. The program recognizes that nutrition and education are fundamental pillars in building quality human resources, particularly through interventions for pregnant women, nursing mothers, toddlers, and school-age children.
The seminar was held on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at the Djunaedi Hadisumarto Meeting Room, Main Building of the Ministry of PPN/Bappenas Office in Jakarta, bringing together representatives from various ministries, development partners including UNICEF, World Bank, and WHO, professional organizations, academic institutions including YARSI University’s Sustainable Development Study Group, civil society organizations, and business sectors. The event featured prominent speakers including Mamadou Ndiaye, Ph.D (Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF) discussing the integration of nutrition interventions in basic education and early childhood education systems, Prof. dr. Fasli Jalal, Ph.D (Rector of YARSI University) on the role of MBG in promoting children’s nutrition and intelligence, along with directors from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Health. This program aligns with several SDGs, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) through the provision of nutritious meals, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by improving maternal and child health, SDG 4 (Quality Education) through the integration of nutrition in education systems, SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through multi-stakeholder collaboration, and supports the achievement of overall sustainable development goals through the development of superior and resilient human resources.
