 |
| Illustration by Ai |
The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program has provided a measurable economic benefit for beneficiary families in Tadui Village, Mamuju District, West Sulawesi. A study by Deni Wandi, Supriadi Yusuf, Hamzar, Ridwan Hayadin, and Ilham Dahri from Universitas Muhammadiyah Mamuju found that the program can reduce household food-related expenses by approximately Rp300,000 to Rp500,000 per child per month. The study examined the program's economic impact in Tadui Village and found that the savings were redirected toward household savings, microbusiness capital, and children's educational needs. The study was published in the International Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR) in 2026.
MBG Has Economic Effects
Beyond Food Assistance
The Indonesian government's MBG
Program is designed as a national policy addressing nutritional challenges.
However, its potential impact extends beyond the provision of nutritious food.
For low-income households, reducing daily food and school-related expenses can
free up cash that can be used for other essential needs.
Tadui Village provides an
important setting for examining this effect. The village is a semi-urban area
near the capital of West Sulawesi Province but continues to maintain strong
rural characteristics. Many residents depend on agriculture, coconut and cocoa
plantations, small-scale fishing, and livestock farming for their livelihoods.
The researchers found that local
residents have not yet become systematic suppliers for the local Nutrition
Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) kitchen. Food supplies are still frequently
obtained from larger distributors, while local farmers and other producers
participate only partially.
This condition creates an
important economic challenge. Although government spending on MBG can generate
demand for food products, not all of that spending automatically circulates
within the local economy.
Researchers Interviewed 16
Respondents
Deni Wandi and his colleagues
used both qualitative and quantitative data, with qualitative information
serving as the main source. The research population consisted of 71 people,
while 16 respondents were selected through purposive sampling.
The researchers collected
information through direct observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation.
The collected data were then analyzed using an interactive qualitative model.
The researchers also cross-checked information from beneficiary families with
SPPG administrators and village government representatives to strengthen the
reliability of their findings.
This approach allowed the researchers to examine not only whether families
received free meals but also how the resulting household savings affected their
everyday economic decisions.
Families Save Up to Rp500,000
per Child
One of the strongest findings
concerns household expenditure.
Before MBG was implemented, daily
spending on children's pocket money and breakfast represented a significant
financial burden for families of farm laborers and traditional fishermen.
Because these families often have irregular or seasonal incomes, even relatively
small daily expenses could create financial pressure.
The study describes how an
allowance of around Rp15,000 per child per day could accumulate into
approximately Rp300,000 to Rp450,000 per month for two children. For
families with monthly incomes below Rp1.5 million, these expenses represented a
substantial share of household income.
With free nutritious meals
provided through the Tadui Village SPPG kitchen, families no longer needed to
allocate the same amount of money toward breakfast and children's daily food
expenses.
The study's broader conclusion
places the savings at Rp300,000–Rp500,000 per child per month, depending
on household conditions.
Household Savings Are
Redirected to Productive Needs
The researchers found that the
money saved through MBG did not simply disappear from household spending.
Families redirected the available cash into several important areas.
The first was household
savings. Families with irregular incomes, including traditional fishermen
and coconut workers, used some of the savings to build financial reserves.
These reserves could help them cope with unexpected events such as illness,
crop failure, or unfavorable weather.
The second was microenterprise
capital. Some women in Tadui Village operate small businesses, including
mobile businesses and traditional snack sales. The additional money generated
through reduced household food expenses could be used as working capital to
expand these businesses.
The third was children's
education. Families used some of their savings for school-related needs,
including notebooks, uniforms, shoes, and transportation costs. This means the
economic effect of MBG can extend beyond food consumption to other aspects of
household welfare.
Local Farmers and Producers
Are Not Yet Fully Connected
Despite the positive effect on
household expenditure, the study also identified a major weakness in the
program's local economic impact.
The Local Supply Chain
Connectivity Index (KRPL) between SPPG kitchens and local producers in
Tadui Village remains at a low-to-moderate level. Local farmers, fishermen, and
livestock producers are not yet fully integrated into the MBG supply chain.
According to the researchers,
formal administrative requirements within SPPG operations contribute to the
dominance of larger distributors. Limited access to banking and logistics
infrastructure also increases transaction costs for local producers.
As a result, part of the
government expenditure associated with MBG can flow outside Tadui Village
instead of circulating among local farmers, fishermen, livestock producers, and
small businesses.
MBG Could Become a Local
Economic Stimulus
The findings suggest that the
economic impact of MBG operates through two interconnected channels.
The first is household savings.
By reducing food-related expenses, the program increases the amount of money
available to beneficiary families.
The second is local
supply-chain spending. If SPPG kitchens can obtain a larger proportion of
their food supplies from local farmers, fishermen, livestock producers, and
microbusinesses, government spending on MBG could generate stronger economic
circulation within the village.
For this reason, the researchers'
findings point to the importance of improving local procurement mechanisms.
Better connections between SPPG kitchens and local producers could allow the
MBG budget to provide nutritional benefits while also supporting rural economic
activity.
The study therefore presents MBG
not simply as a food assistance program but as a policy with the potential to
influence household resilience, women's microbusinesses, children's education,
and local economic development.
About the Authors
The article was written by Deni
Wandi, Supriadi Yusuf, Hamzar, Ridwan Hayadin, and Ilham Dahri, all
affiliated with Universitas Muhammadiyah Mamuju. Deni Wandi is listed as
the corresponding author.
The published article does not
provide individual academic degrees or detailed fields of expertise for each
author. Therefore, those details cannot be added without additional verified
information.
Research Source
Article title: The
Impact of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Program on the Community's Economy in
Tadui Village, Mamuju District
Authors: Deni Wandi,
Supriadi Yusuf, Hamzar, Ridwan Hayadin, Ilham Dahri
Affiliation: Universitas
Muhammadiyah Mamuju
Journal: International
Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR)
Volume: 4, No. 8, 2026
Pages: 745–760
Journal website: International
Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR)
0 Komentar