In contemporary discourse on statehood, the term ‘state sovereignty’ is often reduced to aspects of diplomatic recognition, military power, and the physical and tangible protection of territorial boundaries. However, modern social science has a more fundamental understanding: the true sovereignty of a nation actually lies in the quality of life of the individuals within it. This is where the urgency of the link between prosperity and education takes on a role as the main pillar of a nation’s material sovereignty. The current social reality shows that a country’s independence will not be achieved as long as its people are still trapped and shackled in a cycle of structural poverty that limits their access to quality nutrition. Therefore, this essay argues that the sovereignty of a country is not merely a large-scale political narrative, but rather a microeconomic need and balanced nutrition on every individual’s plate, which will be the main fuel for the intellectual development of the country.
The foundation of quality education does not begin in the classroom, but rather with household economic stability. In economic sociology discourse, the relationship between income structure and quality of life is not merely a linear correlation, but rather a form of ‘economic determinism,’ in which a person’s material conditions determine their access to social facilities. Family income acts as a ‘gatekeeper’ to all forms of basic human capital. Family income is not just a number on paper, but a determinant of whether a child is able to obtain protein, vitamins, and other nutrients. In Indonesia, this phenomenon is clearly seen in access to animal protein sources.
Families with above-average incomes have more flexible access to prioritise the nutritional quality of animal proteins such as meat, milk, and eggs. Meanwhile, families with incomes below the average are often trapped in a pattern of ‘excessive carbohydrate’ consumption in order to reduce and cover living costs. This creates an inequality of opportunity, with children from prosperous families starting the ‘competition’ of life with adequate and sufficient nutrition, while children from families with minimum wages must struggle with cognitive limitations due to poor nutrition. This disparity creates what is known as ‘inequality of opportunity’.
The problem is not simply a matter of ‘food choices’, but rather a structural issue whereby nutritious food is often unaffordable for families living on the minimum wage. If we look at the bigger picture, this income inequality causes a country to lose the potential of its hidden geniuses simply because they were born into families who cannot afford the ‘fuel’ for their brains. Therefore, material sovereignty at the individual level is an absolute requirement for the creation of a competitive society. Without policy interventions that favour income equality, nutrition will remain a ‘positional good’ or luxury item that can only be enjoyed by those at the top of the social pyramid, rather than a right for every citizen.
After gaining a deeper understanding, we must examine and analyse how nutritional fulfilment is often referred to as ‘intellectual assets’. In social science, humans are not viewed as static entities, but rather as the main capital of a nation, or human capital. According to human capital theory itself, investment in humans is not only carried out through schooling and education, but begins during the brain’s growth period in the womb, known as the ‘First 1000 Days of Life’. Biologically, nutrition is the main architect of brain synapses. Nutrition is not just a matter of a full stomach, but a biological investment that determines a child’s cognitive absorption in pursuing education.
Micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, iodine, and omega 3 acids during the growth period can cause permanent cognitive damage that cannot be repaired by providing quality textbooks later on. The link between nutrition and intelligence is an undeniable sociological fact. This is what policymakers often overlook: that academic failure is often a manifestation of chronic malnutrition. Children who suffer from chronic malnutrition to the point of stunting not only face physical risks, but also obstacles to their brain development. Statistically, children who suffer from chronic malnutrition to the point of stunting have lower IQ scores and poor concentration levels. In the context of social science, this is a form of ‘biological injustice’. If a country allows the prevalence of stunting to remain high, the quality of national education will decline, not because of a flawed curriculum, but because the ‘raw material’ of its people is biologically unprepared.
Education will never be an effective engine of social mobility if students come to school with brains that are not properly nourished. Positioning nutrition as a national asset means recognising that the collective intelligence of a nation is determined by the quality of its children’s meals. Inclusive and equitable education can only be achieved if there is equal access to nutrition, so that every individual has the same starting point for developing their intellectual potential. Investment in nutrition is a tangible form of human capital investment. Becker (1993) argues that improving human quality through health and education will provide long-term returns for a country’s productivity. In addition, Bappenas (2021) states in its strategic plan that addressing malnutrition is key to creating a competitive golden generation in the future. Thus, national nutrition programmes should be seen as an effort to ‘upgrade’ human infrastructure, which is far more vital than physical infrastructure development.
The sovereignty of a country is often misunderstood as merely ownership of geographical territory and formal recognition by the United Nations. However, from an economic and political perspective, true sovereignty is substantial, meaning that a nation has complete control over its future direction without being influenced by external forces. A country’s sovereignty is ultimately tested through the independence of its human resources. In today’s knowledge economy, the instruments of colonisation no longer use military force, but rather control over technology, the economy and human resources. Sovereignty is not just a matter of military strength, but also of intellectual capacity to manage one’s own natural resources. Without material independence and competitive brainpower, a nation will only become a market for foreign products and a provider of cheap labour.
This is the point where prosperity and education determine the life and death of a nation’s sovereignty. Countries that fail to guarantee nutrition and education for their people will be trapped in what is known as the ‘Dependency Trap’. When the quality of human resources is low due to malnutrition and poor education, the nation will lose its global competitiveness. They will become a market for foreign products and a provider of unskilled labour for other nations. Conversely, history shows that developed countries such as Japan and South Korea managed to rise after the war. This was achieved not only through physical infrastructure development but also through the provision of nutrition for school children and mass education. They understood that national sovereignty begins with collective intelligence.
If the people are intelligent and healthy, then the country has strong bargaining power in international diplomacy. Conversely, people with low intellectual levels will become a threat to national security from within. The sovereignty of a nation is highly dependent on its morality and economic independence. Mubyarto (1994) reminds us that a sovereign economic system is one that is capable of dignifying human beings and guaranteeing social justice for all its people. Ensuring prosperity and education through nutritional fulfilment is the most fundamental action in the modern era. Therefore, investing in the people’s food is not merely a social welfare programme, but rather a crucial national defence strategy to ensure that sovereignty remains in the hands of the people, rather than being controlled by foreign interests that are more dominant intellectually and economically.
To conclude this discussion, the common thread between maturity, education, and state sovereignty is not a coincidence, but rather an absolute causality that forms an inseparable ecosystem. The sovereignty of a state cannot be upheld on the foundation of a people who are economically fragile and intellectually backward. We cannot dream of an excellent education system if the biological infrastructure, namely the brains and physical health of the younger generation, is not supported by adequate nutrition. Through the above discussion, it is clear that household economic prosperity is the main gateway to nutritional fulfilment, which then translates into cognitive assets that will support educational success.
Without synchronisation between economic and health policies, the education system will only become a venue for perpetuating social inequality. This essay has demonstrated that sovereignty is not a distant concept, but rather something very real that begins at the dinner table. Prosperity is the key to access to nutrition: nutrition is the key to intellectual potential through education, and the combination of the two is the main key to the formation of true state sovereignty. Governments, academics and society must begin to view food policy and poverty alleviation as an integral part of efforts to maintain state sovereignty. A truly independent country is one that is able to break the chain of poverty and malnutrition, so that every citizen has the same opportunity and capacity to contribute to the progress of the nation. Ultimately, the dignity of a country is not only measured by the grandeur of its skyscrapers or the strength of its military, but by the extent to which each citizen is sovereign in accessing a decent, healthy and educated life.
By: Aghnia Syifia Al – Kansa
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