THE REGIME OF HUNGER: THE IRONY OF LOCAL NUTRITION CRISIS AMIDST NATIONAL FOOD SURPLUS IN MERAUKE

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the paradox between national food surplus and local nutritional crisis occurring in Merauke Regency. The research focuses on the disparity between increased rice production through the national food estate program and the conditions of food access and nutritional quality among local communities, particularly Indigenous peoples. It also examines how large-scale food policies, distribution systems, and the conversion of customary land affect the sustainability of local food systems and community nutritional resilience. This study employs a qualitative method using a descriptive-analytical case study approach. Data were collected through a literature review of scholarly journal articles, policy reports, official statistical data, and relevant digital documents related to food and nutrition issues in Merauke. The analysis is strengthened by a political ecology perspective to understand power relations among the state, corporations, and Indigenous communities in the governance of food resources. The findings indicate that rice production surplus in Merauke does not correspond with improvements in local nutritional status. The expansion of large-scale food projects has resulted in the loss of traditional food sources, fragmentation of Indigenous living spaces, and a shift in consumption patterns toward market-based foods that are homogeneous and low in micronutrients. These conditions contribute to the high prevalence of stunting and anemia, particularly among vulnerable groups. This study concludes that the nutritional crisis in Merauke is not caused by food scarcity but by systemic failures in ensuring food access, diversity, and quality. Therefore, food security policies need to integrate the protection of customary land rights, the strengthening of local food systems, and approaches that are sensitive to the socio-cultural contexts of Indigenous communities.