The Policy Paradox of Rice Import Restrictions: Food Sovereignty and Governance in Post-Reform Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61987/bamj.v4i2.2499Keywords:
Food Sovereignty, Rice Import Policy , Food Governance , Governance CapacityAbstract
This study aims to examine the policy paradox between rice import restrictions and food sovereignty in post-Reform Indonesia from a governance perspective. An explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed by integrating historical policy analysis and descriptive quantitative analysis. The study analyzed government regulations, policy documents, BULOG reports, rice import statistics, and domestic production data from 2004–2024 to evaluate policy effectiveness, institutional coordination, and governance capacity. The findings reveal that the 2004 rice import moratorium successfully reduced import volumes and strengthened state intervention in food markets in the short term. However, these achievements did not lead to sustainable food sovereignty due to persistent challenges in agricultural productivity, institutional coordination, supply-chain efficiency, and technological modernization. This study contributes to the food governance literature by demonstrating that food sovereignty is a multidimensional governance outcome shaped by policy effectiveness, institutional coordination, and governance capacity, rather than by import restrictions alone. The findings imply that import management should be integrated with broader governance reforms, agricultural modernization, and institutional strengthening to enhance food system resilience and reduce structural dependence on external food markets.
References
Ahmed, Z., Kadir, A., Alam, R., & Laskor, M. A. H. (2025). The Impact of Staple Crop Price Instability and Fragmented Policy on Food Security and Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Bangladesh. Discover Sustainability, 6(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-00878-7
Arieftiara, D., Hasan, M. F., & Nofrian, F. (2026). Agriculture, Food Security and Sustainability in Indonesia. In Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia: Towards Climate Resilience and Digitalization (pp. 69–91). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-0477-0_5
Astuti, S. J. W., Panglipursari, D. L., Murdani, M. H., Diyanto, A. K., & Putra, B. T. (2026). Collaborative Governance for Food Security Policy in Indonesia: Lessons for Achieving the SDGs in Asia-Pacific. Development Studies Research, 13(1), 2674596. https://doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2026.2674596
Berning, L., & Sotirov, M. (2024). The Coalitional Politics of the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products. Forest Policy and Economics, 158, 103102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103102
Chevallier, R. (2023). Strengthening Africa's Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems Through Enhanced Policy Coherence and Coordinated Action. South African Journal of International Affairs, 30(4), 595–618. https://doi.org/10.1080/10220461.2024.2318712
Creswell, J. W. (2021). A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research. SAGE Publications.
Diawati, L., & Rasyid, A. S. (2025). Mitigating Retail Rice Price Volatility for Sustainable Supply Chains: An Optimization and Regression-Based Approach. F1000Research, 14, 311. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.161723.1
Donner, M., Mamès, M., & De Vries, H. (2024). Towards Sustainable Food Systems: A Review of Governance Models and an Innovative Conceptual Framework. Discover Sustainability, 5(1), 414. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00648-x
Fadah, I., Lutfy, C., & Amruhu, A. (2024). Analysis of Rice Trade and Food Security in Southeast Asian Countries. KnE Social Sciences, 641–653. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v9i21.16772
Galanakis, C. M., Daskalakis, M. I., Galanakis, I., Gallo, A., Marino, E. A. E., Chalkidou, A., & Agrafioti, E. (2025). A Systematic Framework for Understanding Food Security Drivers and Their Interactions. Discover Food, 5(1), 178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-025-00480-w
Grace, H., Banson, K., & Saraf, A. (2023). Mixed-Methods Research. In Translational Radiation Oncology (pp. 531–536). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-88423-5.00029-7
Hasan, Z., & Daryanto, H. (2024). Food Security Governance: Bibliometric Mapping and Comparative Policy Lessons for Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 12(6), 2793–2808. https://doi.org/10.37641/jimkes.v12i6.4055
Hibatullah, F. H., & Simarmata, T. (2024). Revealing Food Fulfillment Threads and Innovative Technology for Enhancing Rice Productivity and Ensuring the Food Security in Indonesia. International Journal on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 5(3), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.46676/ij-fanres.v5i3.316
Hirose, M., & Creswell, J. W. (2023). Applying Core Quality Criteria of Mixed Methods Research to an Empirical Study. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(1), 12–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898221086346
Keegan, S., Reis, K., Roiko, A., & Desha, C. (2024). Exploring Resilience Concepts and Strategies Within Regional Food Systems: A Systematic Literature Review. Food Security, 16(3), 801–825. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01418-9
Lahmar, A., & Siddiqui, A. A. (2026). How Trade Policies Reshape Food Supply Chain Resilience: Lessons from AMIS Economies. Critical Perspectives on International Business, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1108/cpoib-10-2025-0236
Muis, A., Nurnaningsih, Suirlan, R., Haprin Dj. Achmad, N., Firdayanti, Baharuddin, & Amijaya, M. (2025). Analysis of Food Sovereignty in Indonesia: Macroeconomic Data. Research on World Agricultural Economy, 6(2), 712–722. https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v6i2.1675
Oñederra-Aramendi, A., Begiristain-Zubillaga, M., & Cuellar-Padilla, M. (2023). Characterisation of Food Governance for Alternative and Sustainable Food Systems: A Systematic Review. Agricultural and Food Economics, 11(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-023-00258-7
Papavasileiou, E. F., & Dimou, I. (2025). Evidence of Construct Validity for Work Values Using Triangulation Analysis. EuroMed Journal of Business, 20(5), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/EMJB-10-2023-0287
Patay, D., & Thow, A. M. (2026). From Ministries of Food to National Food System Committees: A Global Mapping and Typology of Multisectoral Food System Governance Institutions. Sustainable Development, 34(1), 1378–1398. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70320
Rodrí, V. M., & Ruí, A. (2024). The Government's Role in Sustainable Food Chains: Facing the Climate Change. Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Research, 7(3), 157–176. https://doi.org/10.26502/jfsnr.2642-110000163
Ruspayandi, T., Bantacut, T., Arifin, B., & Fahmi, I. (2022). Market-Approach-Based Policy to Achieve Rice Price Stability in Indonesia—Can It Be a Complement? Economies, 10(12), 296. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10120296
Schneider, K. R., Remans, R., Bekele, T. H., Aytekin, D., Conforti, P., Dasgupta, S., DeClerck, F., Dewi, D., Fabi, C., & Gephart, J. A. (2025). Governance and Resilience as Entry Points for Transforming Food Systems in the Countdown to 2030. Nature Food, 6(1), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-01109-4
Sciberras, M., & Dingli, A. (2023). Research Analysis—Triangulation Approach. In Investigating AI Readiness in the Maltese Public Administration (pp. 31–32). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19900-4_9
Sulistiyowati, H., Ali, M. S. S., & Fahmid, I. M. (2026). Relational Capacity and Fragmented Authority: Coordination and Power in Indonesia's Decentralized Regulatory Governance. Sustainability, 18(8), 3780. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18083780
Syndoukas, N., Mattas, K., Tsakiridou, E., Anastasiadis, F., Manikas, I., Staboulis, C., Schnell, A. A., & Morelle, C. (2026). Stakeholder-Driven Food Policy and Multilevel Governance for Agri-Food Systems Resilience: Integrating Climate Change, Food Security, and Biodiversity. Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.71265
Tamasiga, P., & Onyeaka, H. (2026). Global Food Value Chains Demand and Supply Dynamics and Policy Implications. In Global Food Value Chains: An In-Depth Exploration of International Trade Dynamics (pp. 63–128). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-11623-9_5
Vadilaksono, M. I., & Syaukat, Y. (2023). Harmonization of Rice Production Policy and Rice Trade Policy in Indonesia. Journal of Management & Agribusiness/Jurnal Manajemen & Agribisnis, 20(1), 154. https://doi.org/10.17358/jma.20.1.154
Widyawati, W., Hanani AR, N., Syafrial, S., & Sujarwo, S. (2025). Crafting the Future of Rice in Indonesia: Sustainable Supply Through Systems Thinking. Cogent Social Sciences, 11(1), 2488113. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2025.2488113
Yusrin, N. A., Nugroho, A., & Darmansyah, D. (2024). Analysis of Rice Massive Importing Impact Towards Poverty Alleviation in Indonesia Based on Micro, Macro, Politics and International Economics. Proceeding International Conference on Accounting and Finance, 655–668.
Zhang, Y., Xiong, H., & Zhang, J. (2025). Determinants of China's Soybean Import Trade. Public Organization Review, 25(3), 1683–1703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-025-00912-2
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nila Triwahyuning Tyas, Endang Susilowati, Yety Rochwulaningsih, Agustina Wilujeng Pramesturi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
