Land Acquisition for the Public Interest as an Alternative to Building a Food Estate in Indonesia: An Effort to Achieve Proportional Justice

PURPOSE: To ensure the right to food, Indonesia has implemented the Food Estate programme, using the State’s right to control land acquisition in the public interest. However, land acquisition for the Food Estate programme affects people’s right of ownership. In that context, this article discusses the proportionality of the right to food and right of ownership in relation to land acquisition for the Food Estate programme. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Legal research, with a statutory and conceptual approach. FINDINGS: The paper outlines the urgent need for the Food Estate programme, characterises the right to food and right of ownership, and describes the concept of land acquisition in the public interest based on Indonesian Law. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Focused solely on discussing how to fulfil citizens’ rights while proceeding with land acquisition for the Food Estate programme. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This work presents a recent analysis of land acquisition for the public interest, as part of the National Strategic Projects, which was only recently included in Indonesian legislation.