Jakarta, Jan. 16 -- Deputy Minister of Environment Diaz Hendropriyono asserted that the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program must be accompanied by pollution mitigation, food waste management, and environmental protection measures.

"The Ministry of Environment seeks to ensure that this program can provide the best nutrition to all the nation's children without harming the environment," he said in a statement on Friday.

The statement followed his monitoring of two nutritional fulfillment service units (SPPGs), or MBG kitchens-Banyuanyar SPPG and Busukan SPPG-in Surakarta, Central Java, on Thursday.

On that occasion, he handed over three composter units to each of the two SPPGs to support more effective organic waste management.

At the B...