Indonesia's Free Meals Programme: A Recipe for Disaster The recent outbreak of food poisoning in East Java, which hospitalized over 500 students, is a stark symptom of a larger problem plaguing Indonesia's ambitious free meals scheme.
Launched in 2025 with the goal of eradicating under nutrition among children, the programme has instead become a cautionary tale of government largesse gone wrong.
At its inception, President Prabowo Subianto's multibillion dollar initiative seemed like a bold move to address one of Indonesia's most pressing social issues. However, as the programme grew, so did its problems.