Jakarta, Nov. 19 -- Deputy Agriculture Minister Sudaryono stressed the need to protect agricultural land as a key pillar of national food security, warning that unchecked land conversion could trigger a future crisis and undermine Indonesia's ability to meet rising food demand from a growing population.

"Agriculture is the foundation of our nation's future and must be protected seriously," Sudaryono said in a statement released in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said the government, together with all relevant stakeholders, will stop the conversion of agricultural land, which has increasingly reduced the space available for food production.

Sudaryono delivered the remarks at a coordination meeting on revising regional spatial plans, land conve...