Who Decides What We Eat? The Politics Behind a Plate of Rice
Behind a plate of rice lies a political history that has eroded Indonesia's local food diversity. Learn about the theory of food regimes and the impor
Who Decides What We Eat? The Politics Behind a Plate of Rice
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You have not really eaten if you have not eaten rice”? In Indonesia, this expression is so common that many people accept it as a natural truth. Yet it also reflects the success of a long historical process that has shaped how society understands food. For centuries, the Indonesian archipelago was home to a remarkable diversity of staple foods. Communities across the islands relied on sago, sorghum, barley, maize, cassava, taro, and countless varieties of local tubers. However, decades of political decisions, economic transformation, and changes in food systems gradually encouraged dependence on a single commodity: rice. This raises important questions. Why do we consume food the way we do today? Who determines what appears on our plates? Is it the state, the market, global corporations, or a combination of all three? To answer these questions, we must look beyond nutrition and explore the political and economic forces hidden behind a simple plate of ric…
