PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – A meeting took place on Monday (7/08) between Airlangga Hartarto, the Coordinator Minister of Economy in Indonesia, and H.E Mr. Graham Stuart MP, the Minister of Energy and Net Zero in the United Kingdom (UK), at the office of the Coordinator Ministry of Economy. The discussions centered around various aspects of agricultural trade between the two countries, including matters related to smallholders, certification, agricultural sector commitments, climate considerations, and the advancements in the Forest Agriculture, Commodities, and Trade (FACT) Dialogue.
Remarkably, the bilateral trade volume between Indonesia and the UK achieved a total of US$ 2.7 billion in 2022, marking a 4.9% increase from the previous year. The period of 2021 to 2022 witnessed a substantial 10.59% growth in agricultural trade between the two nations.
Minister Airlangga told some commitment of Indonesia on agricultural trade, climate change and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil in the response to European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that European Union published.
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“It is important for UK to know and acknowledge sustainability standard in national scale to create condition heading to better market access for every product that was sustainably produced in UK,” Minister Airlangga said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com , Tuesday, (8/8/2023).
The cooperation flagship of the two countries in wood and wood product management legally and sustainably was reflected through Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT – VPA) that has been officially running since December 2018.
The meeting also discussed about what both countries would do in the future about the same chairmanship between Indonesia and UK in FACT Dialogue, which is as plantation and forestry producers and consumers to address related issues about the sector, particularly about sustainability aspect to minimize emission globally. The thematic downstream issues from FACT Dialogue are Transparency and Traceability, Smallholder Support, Trade and Market Development, dan Research, Development, and Innovation.
The chairmanship with Indonesia in the dialogue forum would end in this year, 2023 and both countries are preparing the follow up from FACT Dialogue after the chairmanship of Indonesia.
“UK appreciated the cooperation with Indonesia in the past several years as Co-chair FACT Dialogue and hoped that non-negotiation dialogue forum would be the forum for plantation and forestry producers and consumers to discuss sustainability aspects, Co-chair UK for FACT Dialogue, Minister Stuart said. (T2)
