AUTHOR=Nurhasan Mulia , Maulana Agus Muhamad , Ariesta Desy Leo , Usfar Avita Aliza , Napitupulu Lucentezza , Rouw Aser , Hurulean Ferdinandus , Hapsari Azizah , Heatubun Charlie D. , Ickowitz Amy 

TITLE=Toward a Sustainable Food System in West Papua, Indonesia: Exploring the Links Between Dietary Transition, Food Security, and Forests

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2021

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.789186

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2021.789186

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=Natural tropical forests cover 89% of the land area of West Papua province, Indonesia. Forests have traditionally been an important part of local food systems for indigenous Papuans. Despite the contribution of forests to food security, West Papua has been ranked as one of the most food-insecure provinces in Indonesia, with high rates of both under and over-nutrition. This paper aims to provide evidence that shows a dietary transition is taking place in West Papua and uses local perspectives to explore the link between changes in diets, food security, and land-use change. We used mixed methods with a triangulation design to corroborate the quantitative data that we present from two rounds of the National Socio-economic Survey (SUSENAS) on food consumption for West Papua from 2008 and 2017, with information from four focus group discussions with institutional and local stakeholders. 
The quantitative analysis showed that West Papua is experiencing a dietary transition, moving away from the consumption of traditional foods such as sago, tubers, wild meat, and fresh legumes, towards diets with more rice, chicken, tofu, and tempeh. The consumption of processed and ultra-processed food (UPF) has increased, while the consumption of fresh food has decreased. The qualitative analysis confirmed these findings. The institutional stakeholders expressed a desire to revert to their traditional diets for better food security, whereas the local stakeholders worried about their children’s high consumption of UPF. 
We found a disconnect between how food security is measured by the National Food Security Index (FSI) and the institutional stakeholders' point of view. While the FSI indicators are mostly infrastructure-related measures, the institutional stakeholders link food security with the availability, accessibility, stability, and sustainability of the food sources in their surrounding environment, especially the forests. The institutional stakeholders support the commitment of the provincial government to maintain at least 70% of the forest cover in West Papua, as stated in the Manokwari Declaration. The Indonesian central government and the international conservation community should support this ambitious initiative and be carried out with substantial input from local Papuan stakeholders.