PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — A renewed push to promote national pride in palm oil and rehabilitate neglected plantations was at the heart of a recent meeting between Prof. Dr. Ir. Reni Mayerni, M.P., Deputy for Strategic Studies at Indonesia’s National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas), and Agus Sutomo, President Director of PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara (Persero), on Monday, May 19, in Jakarta.
During the visit, Prof. Reni presented her book “Palm Oil: Indonesia’s Role in Shaping Global Civilization” and emphasized the need to embrace palm oil as a symbol of national strength.
“We are the world’s largest palm oil producer—why shouldn’t we be proud? The palm oil campaign should be a national movement,” she stated, as reported by Palmoilmagazine.com via Agrinas on Thursday (May 22, 2025).
Prof. Reni also called for Indonesian diplomats to be equipped with comprehensive knowledge about palm oil as part of economic diplomacy. She voiced concern about the rise of anti-palm oil sentiment among young people, particularly university students, who often associate palm oil with environmental destruction.
Also Read: Agrinas and Foreign Ministry Align on Palm Oil Traceability and Ethics
However, she noted that a Lemhanas-led study involving 17 experts found that palm oil plantations—when properly managed—have high carbon sequestration potential and can serve as a solution for emission reduction. Unfortunately, such findings often struggle to gain traction in international journals due to conflicting interests with major palm oil-importing countries.
Prof. Reni went further, proposing a shift in terminology from “palm oil plantation” to “palm oil forest” to help change public perception. “If rubber plantations can be called ‘people’s forests,’ why not oil palm?” she argued.
To boost public awareness, she also proposed a national campaign under the slogan “I Love Palm Oil”, highlighting how palm oil is present in nearly every aspect of daily life.
In response, Agrinas Palma’s CEO Agus Sutomo detailed the company’s mission—entrusted directly by President Prabowo Subianto—to rehabilitate troubled plantations under Agrinas management.
“We’ve taken over problematic assets—some haven’t been maintained for years. The trees are stressed, the land has turned into brush,” Agus explained.
Of the 484,000 hectares handed over to Agrinas, only about 289,000 hectares still contain palm trees. The rest are either barren or severely degraded.
“We’re not just taking over plantations—we’re rebuilding from scratch. Roads are damaged, infrastructure is ruined. We’ve allocated Rp139 billion just to stabilize and prevent further deterioration,” he added.
According to Agus, roughly 50% of the land is in severely damaged condition, 30% moderately damaged, and the rest mildly affected. Some plots are still entangled in legal proceedings, such as the former Duta Palma land, which is not yet legally settled.
“We immediately begin rehabilitation on land that’s legally clear. It’s a slow process, but we’re making progress,” he said.
Prof. Reni praised the recovery steps taken by Agrinas and expressed hope that the company could spearhead a new era for Indonesia’s palm oil sector.
“The original goal of palm oil development was to uplift the people’s welfare. We fully support concrete efforts like this,” she affirmed.
Closing the meeting, Agus revealed a bold target from the President: Agrinas is tasked with managing one million hectares of palm oil land this year.
“It’s a massive undertaking. But if we stay committed, we can revive national pride in palm oil,” he declared. (P2)
