Indonesia Allows Large Islamic Boarding Schools to Operate Their Own Free Meal Kitchens

The Indonesian government has approved that Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) and other religious boarding schools with more than 1,000 students may establish and run their own kitchens for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan announced the decision after a cross‑sector coordination meeting in Jakarta, emphasizing that the kitchens must meet the same standards as other MBG facilities, including hygiene and sanitation certification.

The policy aims to simplify meal distribution for large boarding schools, expand the MBG program’s reach, and help meet the target of 82.9 million beneficiaries by the end of 2026. Schools with fewer than 1,000 students will continue to receive meals from nearby approved kitchens. The National Nutrition Agency head Sudaryono said his agency will inspect schools that set up kitchens to ensure compliance and transparency.

Ministers from Human Development, Health, Home Affairs and the State Secretary also attended the meeting, underscoring the government’s commitment to improve nutrition for students in pesantren, where current coverage is about 10 percent.