Issue of Demographic and Dietary Pattern has become a challenge for countries in the world related to their national food security programs through empowering small and medium enterprises in the upstream food sector and their market networks. Increasingly increasing middle-income groups and urbanization have led to an increasing demand for nutrients and processed foods. This has become the main topic in the online Group Discussion (FGD) Forum with the topic Policy Forum for Policy Development of Value Chain Infrastructure for Horticulture Products in Indonesia. This FGD was initiated by the Ministry of National Development Planning (or Bappenas) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and supported by the Directorate General of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia. In the initiation of this empowerment program, both in terms of mapping agricultural land, distribution infrastructure to the market, as well as a digitization platform, the Ministry of Agriculture has a target of opening horticultural villages complete with the provision of post harvest facilities and infrastructure and a market network of 300 villages in the next 5 years. In providing the need for fresh horticultural products throughout the year, the right market intelligence is needed so that there is no scarcity of selected products in the market as well as a distribution center that functions as a buffer stock with the application of Temperature Controlled Logistics (TCL) technology.

The financing of horticultural agriculture from upstream to downstream is really needed for small and medium enterprises, therefore Asian Development Bank and the relevant ministries will cooperate in this program.

This limited FGD was attended by regulators and programs as well as ARPI and other related associations.