National Food Security and Local Sovereignty: Legal-Ecological Critique of Indonesia’s Food Estate Policy

The food estate program in Indonesia, introduced as part of the National Strategic Projects, aims to bolster national food security through the development of large-scale agricultural zones outside Java. Central Kalimantan has become a key pilot area, selected for its perceived land availability and strategic potential. However, this top-down initiative has raised critical concerns related to ecological degradation, legal centralization, and the marginalization of indigenous communities. This study adopts a qualitative methodology that integrates doctrinal legal analysis with empirical research to assess the implementation and impacts of the food estate program in Central Kalimantan. Legal sources, environmental reports, field interviews, and NGO documentation provide the evidentiary basis for this inquiry. The findings reveal significant legal-ecological dissonance: the program undermines constitutional principles of environmental protection, regional autonomy, and indigenous land rights. Ecologically, the conversion of peatlands has accelerated deforestation and carbon emissions. Socially, it has disrupted traditional livelihoods, excluded local participation, and triggered land conflicts. Legally, the policy bypasses decentralization mandates and weakens the role of local governments. This article argues that the food estate program constitutes agrarian misgovernance, where national food ambitions compromise justice, sustainability, and legality. Its novelty lies in adopting a legal-empirical framework that bridges constitutional analysis with socio-environmental realities. By situating Indonesia’s case within global debates on ecological justice and participatory governance, this study contributes to rethinking agrarian policy toward more democratic and sustainable models of food security.