FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO INDONESIA - 6 October 1998

Abstract

Since mid-1997, Indonesia has experienced a succession of economic shocks which have resulted in a sharp depreciation in the value of the Rupiah against major currencies, rapid inflation and a dramatic increase in the number of people unemployed. The consequences of economic contraction together with appreciably lower food production forecast this year will have a major impact on the country’s food security in the short to medium term. In addition to their magnitude, the sudden and rapid pace at which events have evolved has meant that there have been limited opportunities for adequate coping mechanisms to develop, at both the national and household levels, to deal with serious food supply difficulties. The number of people who now fall below the poverty line has risen sharply and concerns are mounting that over the next year, a large section of Indonesia’s population will be vulnerable to food insecurity.