Agrarian scenarios and nutritional security in Indonesia

Over the last few decades, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty rates in Indonesia had been declining. Within just one generation, tens of millions of people - both urban and rural poor - have improved their incomes, living conditions, infrastructure, education facilities and healthcare. This shift reflects the official poverty line statistics and local conceptualisations of poverty provided by our community wealth ranking exercises (discussed below). According to local criteria, at least 30 per cent of the inhabitants in half of our village studies transitioned out of more extreme forms of poverty. Yet, shifting standards of material welfare occur, alongside the persistence of poverty and nutritional insecurity in rural areas. The prevalence of high levels of stunting and ongoing deprivation (in local terms) indicates poverty's complexity and multi-dimensional nature, and invites a deeper investigation of the underlying processes.