Can Indonesia rely less on rice? Culture and agriculture would have to change

Farmers dry rice stalks during the harvest at Jatiluwih village in Tabanan, Bali, on June 18, 2024. - Photo: Antara

JAKARTA: Indonesians are eating too much rice to the point that nationwide production keeps falling short of demand.

Many have proposed a diversification of local dietary habits, but rice consumption is deeply rooted in Indonesian culture, and switching to alternatives alone would not address structural problems in domestic farming.