Why Blue Food is Important for Indonesia

As an archipelagic country rich in natural resources, Indonesia has abundant access to its marine resources. One important aspect of these marine resources is Blue Food, which is aquatic food that is caught or cultivated in various aquatic ecosystems, from fresh water to the sea.
The importance of Blue Food for Indonesia cannot be underestimated. Apart from being a food source that is rich in nutrients, Blue Food also has a large positive impact on the social and economic aspects of communities involved in coastal and marine resource-based food systems.
One important aspect of Pangan Biru is its contribution to protein intake in people’s diets. Nearly 50% of Indonesian people’s protein consumption comes from Pangan Biru, showing how important this protein source is in meeting the nutritional needs of the Indonesian population.
However, the benefits of Blue Food are not only limited to the nutritional aspect. Developing Blue Food consumption can also have a positive impact in increasing the productivity of the fisheries sector.
With increasing demand for Blue Food, incentives will arise for fishing industry players to increase production, thereby producing a positive impact on the economic growth of this sector.
Apart from that, increasing Blue Food consumption can also help reduce the gap for small-scale fisheries actors.
By providing small fisheries with greater access to market their catches, they can become more economically independent and improve their standard of living.
Apart from economic benefits, consumption of Blue Food also has a positive impact on human health. With its rich nutritional content, including protein, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids, Blue Food can help improve heart health, improve the immune system, and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Overall, Blue Food has a very important role for Indonesia, not only as a source of nutrient-rich food, but also as a driver of economic growth in the fisheries sector, reducing social disparities and improving public health.
Therefore, it is important for Indonesia to continue to pay attention to and develop the potential of Blue Food as an important asset in efforts to achieve food security and overall community welfare.
Source: Bappenas