Bali supermarkets, hotels and restaurants must now promote and prioritise local produce, sourced from farms and fisheries on the island.
Expect it to become more difficult to find the wagyu beef from Australia, the lamb cutlets from New Zealand and the cherries from the US.
The policy stipulates that 60% of the agricultural products bought, sold and marketed by retailers and hoteliers must come from local producers.
In addition, 30% of fish and handicraft products must be obtained from Bali enterprises.
Bali hoteliers are concerned that local producers will not be able to keep up with demand, nor with the quality required by international luxury hotels.
Bali governor Wayan Koster wants more of the spoils of tourism to filter down through the food chain.
“There is a big imbalance [in economic growth]. It is necessary to balance the structures of tourism and agriculture,” said Koster, as quoted by Nusa Bali.
The governor has called for retailers to buy the produce at a price of at least 20% above the farmers’ production costs, thus supporting the interests of local industries.
“What we need is good quality because [our products] are also consumed by international tourists,” said Ray Suryawijaya, head of Badung Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), as quoted in Kumparan.