Feeding the Megacity: Challenges to Achieve Food Security in Jakarta

Food security has nowadays become a major challenge for many countries including Indonesia, which has included it in its Food Law. Meanwhile, urban transition entails massive land conversion from non-built (agriculture) to built environment. This transition makes the law’s objectives more difficult to achieve and consequently adds to the complexities of metropolitan governance and planning. Using Jakarta as a case study, this article aims to describe the condition of Jakarta’s food security, being the only megacity in Indonesia. This research uses a mixed method approach with content analysis and descriptive statistical analysis. The analysis investigates the components of food security, which include availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. The research found that each component has faced particular problems that are mutually connected, and the local government has yet to recognize the urgency of this issue. This research stresses the urgency of local government’s role and the need for strong and sustainable cooperation with other regions, particularly Jakarta’s peri-urban region, in managing Jakarta’s food system.