Consuming is not just about making the stomach full. It is not just about putting food in the mouth, chewing, tasting, and then swallowing it. Many people no longer consume what they grow themselves, but consume from other people's crops. Perhaps in the future people will no longer consume what is planted in the ground, but from machines and robots, so that traditional local food is outdated. That is the common anxiety for people who live in fertile land that overflows with milk and honey.
Supposedly, the soil that turns wooden sticks into plants can revive and support the humans who live on it without any shortage. Food is a sensitive thing that cannot be ignored. History recorded, the colonialists came to the archipelago to look for spices and other food sources. However, now everything has changed. We proudly recognize our independence, but it is ironic because it is accompanied by pride that classy food is food from abroad. Unfortunately, we did not realize that the raw materials of the foods were derived from our country and we are trapped by the consumerism of foreign products. If so, are we free? Yes, we are being colonized by imported foods and products.
Now, what needs to be considered is not how to compete with the war force of other countries, but how this country feeds the people with food of which seeds are owned by the local people, planted on people's land, harvested by the people, sold at affordable prices, and consumed by the people for their health. If it is realized and implemented, then sovereignty is not only a thought but also availability to provide food.
The writer is from Kotabumi, North Lampung
where cassavas are like a mother that supports life because thousands of hectares of cassavas
are cultivated in this area. Although it contains a high source of
carbohydrates, this 'root of prosperity' is not very popular as a staple food
because it is considered low. Various types of cassava are grown, but few
people cultivate them. It makes us contemplate when we like imported food, by
asking ourselves, what will happen to local food in the future? Are we willing
if our treasure of local food is lost and forgotten?
As a local youth, the writer hopes for the growth of awareness to love local food from the harvest of our land because one best force of war is a full stomach and one form of prosperity is a barn that never runs out. The barn is our land, so we should not depend on other people's barns. ***
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