Social Inequality and Food Security in Indonesia: The Role of Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18343/jipi.31.3.447Keywords:
food security, gini index, mean years of schooling, poverty rate, social inequalityAbstract
This study evaluates the impact of social inequality, measured by gini index and poverty rate, on food security across Indonesian provinces during the 2019–2023 period, incorporating the mean years of schooling as a moderating variable. Utilizing panel data from 34 provinces and a fixed effects model, the findings reveal that poverty has a significant negative effect on food security, while the gini index representing income inequality shows no effect. However, when moderated by education, the gini index becomes significant, highlighting the role of education in amplifying the effects of social inequality. Provinces with higher education levels display greater sensitivity to poverty and inequality because of increased expectations for food quality and living standards. Education functions as a direct determinant and as a social mechanism that enhances nutritional literacy, awareness of equitable food distribution, and community adaptive capacity during food crises. These results underscore the need for effective food security policies that integrate human capital development strategies, particularly in education. Practical implications include the promotion of agricultural education, food literacy training, and community empowerment programs in vulnerable regions. This study recommends a multidimensional approach to food security policies that extends beyond production and distribution to emphasize social equity, poverty reduction, and educational strengthening.
Keywords: food security, gini index, mean years of schooling, poverty rate, social inequality
Downloads
References
Asfaw TD, Belay Y, Fentie D. 2024. Food Security and Household Influencing Factors in Dire Dawa and Harar, Eastern Ethiopia. 2021. Journal of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism. 9(1): 10–18. https://doi.org/10.4103/jrnm.jrnm_18_21
Azwardi A, Widyasthika HF, Saleh RC, Adnan N. 2019. Household Food Security: Evidence From South Sumatera. JEJAK (Journal of Economics and Policy). 12(2): 446–465. https://doi.org/10.15294/jejak.v12i2.20264
[BPS] Badan Pusat Statistik. 2023. Indikator Sosial Ekonomi Indonesia 2019-2023. Jakarta (ID): Badan Pusat Statistik.
Baltagi BH. 2021. Econometric Analysis of Panel Data (6th ed.). Springer.
Beressa G, Whiting SJ, Belachew T. 2024. Effect of nutrition education integrating the health belief model and theory of planned behavior on dietary diversity of pregnant women in Southeast Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal. 23(1): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-023-00907-z
Bogale EK, Anagaw TF, Tiruneh MG, Fenta ET, Endeshaw D, Adal O, Tareke AA, Kebede N, Delie AM. 2025. Individual and community level factors associated with household level food insecurity of Ethiopia: multilevel mixed effects analysis of 2021 Performance Monitoring for Action Ethiopia (PMA—ET). BMC Nutrition. 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-025-01002-8
Effendy DS, Prangthip P, Soonthornworasiri N, Winichagoon P, Kwanbunjan K. 2020. Nutrition education in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia: A cluster randomized controlled study. Maternal and Child Nutrition. 16(4): 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13030
[FAO] Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2023. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023: Urbanization, Agrifood Systems Transformation and Healthy Diets across the Rural–Urban Continuum. FAO
Gujarati DN, Porter DC. 2009. Basic Econometrics (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Hanushek EA, Woessmann L. 2020. The Economic Impacts of Learning Losses. Retrived May, 12, 2025, from https://www.oecd.org/education/The-economic-impacts-of-coronavirus-covid-19-learning-losses.pdf
Islam MR, Sim N. 2021. Education and Food Consumption Patterns: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Indonesia. ArXiv Preprint. 1–22. https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.08124
Manikas I, Ali BM, Sundarakani B. 2023. A systematic literature review of indicators measuring food security. Agriculture and Food Security. 12(1): 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-023-00415-7
Meliala ES, Djamaluddin S. 2024. The Effect of Special Allocation Fund for Agriculture on Food Security in Indonesia. Jurnal Bina Praja. 16(2): 251–260. https://doi.org/10.21787/jbp.16.2024.251-260
Mutisya M, Ngware MW, Kabiru CW, Kandala N. bakwin. 2016. The effect of education on household food security in two informal urban settlements in Kenya: a longitudinal analysis. Food Security. 8(4): 743–756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-016-0589-3
Na M, Aguayo VM, Arimond M, Dahal P, Lamichhane B, Pokharel R, Chitekwe S, Stewart CP. 2018. Trends and predictors of appropriate complementary feeding practices in Nepal: An analysis of national household survey data collected between 2001 and 2014. Maternal and Child Nutrition. 14: 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12564
Njura HJ, Kubai KI, Taaliu ST, Khakame S. 2024. The effect of formal education on food security in Togo: evidence from the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Environment, Development and Sustainability.
Nurhasan M, Ariesta DL, Utami MMH, Fahim M, Aprillyana N, Maulana AM, Ickowitz A. 2024. Dietary transitions in Indonesia: the case of urban, rural, and forested areas. Food Security. 16: 1313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-024-01488-3
OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031. 2022. OECD. https://doi.org/10.1787/f1b0b29c-en
Rusmawati E, Hartono D, Aritenang AF. 2023. Food security in Indonesia: the role of social capital. Development Studies Research. 10(1): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/21665095.2023.2169732
UNDP. 2022. Human Development Report 2021/2022: Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives.
Wooldridge JM. 2013. Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach (5th ed.). South-Western Cengage Learning.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Nuresa Safitri, Istiqomah Istiqomah
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This journal is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
How to Cite
View JIPI StatsCounter
