Problems of access and control over food, and changes in consumption and distribution patterns are behind the poor nutritional intake in Indonesia's coastal communities. In 2016, five infants in Aru Island, Maluku, Indonesia, suffered from malnutrition. The five had to be intensively treated in the Regional Hospital of Cendrawasih Dobo, the capital city of Aru Island Regency. The patients were from poor families who suffer from poor nutritional intake. One of the causes of malnutrition in Indonesia is limited access to food in several regions. Problems related to access and control over food, and changes in consumption and distribution patterns are behind the poor nutritional intake.