Cultivating Food Sovereignty in the Time of the Pandemic: An Analysis of Jokowi's Agricultural Policy

Food is a complex global development issue as there are still people who are unable to meet their total physical and intellectual capacity due to micronutrient deficiencies caused by food insecurity. This study examined the implementation of President Joko Widodo’s policy to achieve the food security targets of SDG Goal Number 2 by the year 2030 through developing the agricultural sector and striving for food sovereignty and sustainability, particularly within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors used institutionalism theory with the top-down model approach. This involved discussing how government institutions and top-level government officials make policies to overcome existing problems, as well as stakeholder involvement in policies and program implementation. The data were obtained from the academic literature and through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders. Indonesia’s food sovereignty efforts included three development missions in formulating programs and policies: (1) self-sufficiency; (2) sustainability; and ( 3) farmers’ welfare. The Ministry of Agriculture did not stand alone in implementing each program and has sought to develop agriculture by collaborating with other domestic and international stakeholders. However, policy implementation and stakeholder involvement in realizing food sovereignty and sustainability in Indonesia still faced challenges in integrating the policy and programs to address the national concerns of food. Keywords: food sovereignty, Jokowi’s agricultural policy, Covid-19 pandemic, top- down institutional approac