The Different Pattern of Food Consumption between Local Farmers and Transmigrant Farmers in the Border Area of Papua, Indonesia

Abstract

As a component in the food and nutrition system, which determined by the quantity and quality of food, food consumption is an important priority to improve the quality of human resources. This study aims to determine the food consumption patterns of farmer households and the difference of its pattern between local and transmigrant farmer households in the border area of Papua. The study was conducted in four regencies in the northern part of Papua in adjacent to the Papua New Guinea (PNG) by involving a total number of 160 households, which consist of 80 local and 80 transmigrant farmer households. To measure the food consumption pattern, the researcher used the food consumption list and a food consumption analysis software developed by the Indonesian Food Security Agency in 2013. The contribution of food energy measured by the Energy Adequacy Rate (AKE) and Protein Adequacy Rate (AKP). The independent t-test was used to compare the food consumption pattern between local and transmigrant farmer households using statistical software, SPSS 16.0 version. The analysis reveals that the AKE and AKP of farmer households are below the recommended standard. The energy (protein) consumption of local farmer households is greater (lower) than the energy consumption of the transmigrant farmer households. The analysis of independent sample t-tests indicates that the average of energy and protein consumption of local farmers differed significantly from the average of energy and protein consumption of transmigrant farmers in the border area of Papua.