Food Access: Where is the Space for Women?
Tuesday, 22 May 2012 15:56
"Food is anything that comes from biological sources and water, whether treated or untreated, which is applied as a food or beverage for human consumption, including food additives, food materials, and other materials used in the process of preparing, processing, and or manufacture of food or drink"(Law no. 7 of 1996 on Food)
Every living things need food, as well as humans. In addition to growth and development, food is a source of energy for humans to stay healthy, so it can move, activity and production. To get all that, then the human body needs food that has nutritional value and free of hazardous materials both physical, biological or chemical that allows the need for nutrients.
According Ayib, from the People's Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP), in the context of socio-cultural, nutritional value of food is not only because the community has a dimension of food and high value. Food is a social tool in people's lives. Often times the food becomes a tool for the adhesive as well as the identity of a community. Such as sago, the identity of indigenous Papuans.
Indonesia set the conditions of food through Act No. 7 of 1996, but unfortunately this law does not provide protection against small producers (read: farmers), especially women, because these laws tend to side with the entrepreneur (private) and make food only as a commodity rather than basic needs of citizens.
The issue of food is also a problem in the countries of the world, it can be seen from one of the targets in the millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which Indonesia also signed and must be achieved in 2015, which was to reduce the number of people suffering from hunger by half (Goal 1, Target B).
Only four more years these targets must be achieved, some indicators are still on the track even require special attention, such as toddlers prevalence of malnutrition, which is an indicator of Target B, Objective 1. Patterns of food consumption by the public is one of the contributors to the occurrence of malnutrition that is influenced also by how they access the food. Accelerate the decline in numbers of malnourished mothers and children contribute to the achievement of the MDGs to-1 (Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger) to MDG-4 (Reduce Child Mortality), the MDG 5 (Improve Maternal Health) and the MDGs 6 (Combat HIV / AIDS and other infectious diseases).
Lack of Food Variety
As an archipelagic country, Indonesia has a diverse land contours, where the variety of all plants living in it. But unfortunately, the New Order politics has instilled that food is rice, it is thus the diversity of food is lost, because of the food system is homogeneous.
"If you look at the main essence of food as a source of nutrition for healthy living, then it is very broad and rich food source. But in Indonesia, food interpreted as a staple food. And because the main food of rice, be as though when it appears the word is synonymous with rice food", thus revealing Ayip.
Another mistake when talking about food-related territories, often just a matter of mere land (read: farming). Whereas food derived from vegetable and animal. For animal food sources, Indonesia is one country with an abundant source because it is surrounded by ocean. But unfortunately, that potential is not yet optimized.
"Food in question is still mostly on land, which is the result of agriculture, yet the fisheries sector", so says Mida Saragih, from Kiara.
The existence of an understanding of food is rice in the whole of Indonesia has changed the food-local food that previously existed. "In the past, a few islands in eastern Indonesia has not rice the staple food. For example Papua consume lots of tubers, maize meal in NTT, Sulawesi eating sago and cassava, and others. Because this plant can grow well in the region where a land with characteristic dry, rocky, infertile, not much water. In the region of West Java and Indonesia the main food is rice, because the land is relatively fertile and plenty of water so the rice can be grown successfully," according to the opinion of Tri Wusananingsih Kodar, Seknas Empowerment of Women Headed Households (Pekka).
Because of such conditions, Ayip see that slowly but surely, the consumption of staple becomes homogeneous, ie RICE. "Homogeneity is creating tremendous consequences. First, the demand to continue to maintain rice production to meet the growing need. So, being logical all the policies and programs directed to increasing rice production", So he said.
When the rice is difficult in production, due to the more fertile land is lost and the food is considered only as a commodity, and food rice interpreted as superior to others, then when the food crisis, imports of rice of choice, and unfortunately it did not favor the policy of the little people, all people--only to the entrepreneur / private - finally vying to import rice without regard to small producers (farmers).
Women's Access To Food
Women are often regarded as the person responsible for the provision of food for his family everyday. So when food resources are limited, women who have to think hard how to get food for her family, by working whatever and look for any food ingredient, which is around the house or environment.
As happened in West Nusa Tenggara, in one of Pekka assisted areas, the harvest season Pekka mothers who are young and strong many who work in the fields harvesting rice to go to another district or districts, and stay for days. They stay in the middle of rice fields, because there is no other choice. For mothers Pekka old and no longer able to wage labor will pick remnants of rice stuck to the shaft or falls in the fields. Then sort them from the stem or from the mixed soil and rock. From these results, they can live 1-3 days for herself.
Meanwhile, in the region Pekka which natural conditions are not fertile, so many men who wander away leaving his wife and child at home. Then the burden of food and the whole family relies on food needs of women. "Women are planting, tending, harvesting and processing of food for herself and his family. At the time of food crops alone is not enough, she then will work whatever it takes to support his family, and this is not easy, because of limited opportunities" says Kodar.
Patriarchal culture that still prevails in many areas, making women's access to food last after her husband and her children, when in the household food needs are not met. In fact, when talking about nutrition, then the woman in dire need, especially when she is pregnant or breastfeeding. When women's access to food are not met, women are not getting adequate nutrition, it will also influence malnutrition, maternal mortality and child mortality.
"Access to food is human rights, then women have access to the same magnitude in terms of food, in certain conditions such as pregnant and lactating women, then women's access to food should take precedence," said Islah from WALHI.
Women often do not consider the knowledge and skills in managing resources for food, whereas women's involvement in it is very large. Seeing this, Jumi Rahayu from WALHI argues that because the instinct is already embedded in the woman. "Women do not consider the knowledge and skills in managing resources for food, because it was regarded as something instinctive course, to do with gender roles of women as housekeepers, etc.".
Because of environmental damage, in some cases, the role of women in water and food needs to be helpless. Islah try to give you an idea of what happened in NTT, as a result of forest destruction is done, vegetable gardens for everyday needs to dryness and the women must endure many miles of water meters for water resources due to the dry forests burn them at the Forest Service (TTS, 2008).
"When asked why women were not regarded as having knowledge in the management of food resources, then the answer is the pattern of food production" modern "was the one who destroyed the roles of women in producing food," Islah explains.
Until now, nobody can argue that women are the real producers of food. The involvement of women not only in terms of production, distribution and even consumption. "In terms of rice production for example, 80% female production processes involved. In terms of consumption, women are the main actors. But saying, the contribution of women in the processes of production-distribution-consumption of food does not necessarily improve the position and access to food sources," explained Ayip.
During this time, women are still underestimated. Whereas the involvement of women in the food show them as the rich in knowledge, experience and skills. Until now, women are still marginalized. Access to knowledge and food sources are limited. This exclusion can be easily seen in the development of food production technologies that male bias.
In a variety of programs and government policies with easy to find designs which take into account more than the equality of men in which women are involved in it. Although the last existing programs specifically for women farmers, but the implementation is still far from the expected.
State Role in Addressing Food
When it comes to rights, then there will be other parties who should be required to meet the right people, in this case should the government. Government through policies and regulations can ensure that every citizen of the people in Indonesia can be provided for food needs both in terms of number or quality. Government is obliged to establish a set of systems that can ensure adequate food for its citizens.
The right to food really is not just related to availability and reserve issues, but about the access/distribution, and consumption. Furthermore, the right to food is also about acceptance in the culture, food aid policies to specific groups (vulnerable groups: women: pregnant women, children; elderly, and others) and for special situations (vulnerable: natural disasters; conflict) as well as awareness about nutrition. Therefore, the fulfillment of the right to food requires synchronization between food-related policies such as fisheries, livestock, land, industry, commerce, finance, health, education and social security.
According to Islah, there is one thing that worried about from current government policy, namely the paradigm they are in compliance with food. Governments use the paradigm of "food security" that tend to attach importance of food availability no matter where it came from, who and how it produced.
"To meet the food supply, the government tried to boost production and farming areas, but unfortunately, the government handed over the affairs of the large agricultural enterprises, private and foreign (Food estate). What are the implications? With food estate schemes, food availability may be adequate but food access increasingly distant from the people, because food prices will continue to follow market prices, while poor people in Indonesia (farmers with small land, labor and KMK) are unable to access it ", said Islah.
In response to these conditions, according to Ayip, there is no other way except to promote food sovereignty. "Resilience and self-reliance is not enough, needed a strong political stance as a form of food sovereignty of this nation. Without food sovereignty, the right to food would be difficult to achieve, which makes them turn this country as the butt of the global food market ", so he said.
In realizing food sovereignty, there are four things that should be strongly encouraged, ie, agrarian reform, fair trade, consumption of local food and sustainable agricultural systems, a major prerequisite for realizing food sovereignty in Indonesia .*****( Joko Sulistyo)
Source : http://kalyanamitra.or.id/newsdetail.php?id=0&iddata=430&lang=english&lang=indonesia&lang=english
“Hak atas Air adalah Hak asasi Manusia. Dan oleh karena itu air adalah barang publik yang tidak boleh dimonopoli dan diprivatisasi. “Salah urus dan Privatisasi pengelolaan sumber daya air telah menyebabkan krisis Air bersih dan kekeringan di Indonesia. Sebuah Negara yang sebenarnya kaya akan sumber air bersih.Dari hulu hingga hilir, sungai sebagai tempat air mengaliri bumi dihancurkan. Hutan ditebangi seakan hanya komoditas. Pabrik-pabrik berdiri sepanjang sungai dan pantai agar mudah membuang limbah mematikan. Dan kota-kota dibangun tanpa peduli bahwa air punya siklus untuk menyerap masuk kedalam bumi. Kini, hanya tersisa sedikit sumber air bersih yang alami di pegunungan, yang keluar secara alami dalam bentuk mata air.
Kalimantan Selatan dipercaya menjadi Tuan Rumah Pekan Rawa Nasional I yang mengambil tema “Rawa Lumbung Pangan Menghadapi Perubahan Iklim” yang diselenggarakan di Banjarbaru tanggal 12-15 Juli 2011.
Pernahkah Anda bercerita kepada anak-anak,sehingga mata anak membulat penasaran mendengar cerita Anda? Jika pernah, atau bahkan sering, berarti Anda giat memperkokoh karakternya. Jika belum, tidak ada kata terlambat untuk mulai mendongeng.
September 9, 2011