STRENGTHENING FOOD SECURITY VIA ECONOMIC, BUDGETARY AND TRANSPARENCY

The Free Nutritious Food (MBG) program in North Sulawesi aims to address the problem of malnutrition and stunting in Eastern Indonesia by giving schoolchildren access to healthy food. The purpose of this study is to investigate the economic impact, budget optimization, transparency, and mediating role of community participation in the management of MBG on food security. The quantitative method was used with a structured survey approach, and the data were taken directly from the respondents. The SmartPLS 4 application is used to perform structural equation modeling analysis based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM). The research population consists of students, teachers, MSME actors or traders, and MBG kitchen managers. Because the population is unknown, the sample determination uses the Lemeshow formula so that the sample is at least 385 respondents. However, to obtain a representative sample, the questionnaire was distributed as widely as possible to the research population. A total of 971 respondents from six districts/cities, namely Manado, Bitung, Minahasa, Southeast Minahasa, Sangihe, and Sitaro, answered the questionnaire. The results indicate that all three independent variables contribute positively to increased food security, and this relationship is strengthened by active community engagement. Economic impact increases people's ability to meet their nutritional needs, budget optimization improves the efficiency of food distribution, and management transparency increases program accountability. Community participation ensures the sustainability and effectiveness of MBG.