PALMOILMAGAZINE, PONTIANAK – Marselinus Andry, Head of Advocacy at Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS), raised concerns about the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its potential impact on Indonesia’s palm oil sector.
He highlighted the serious issue of forest boundary disputes, emphasizing the need for transparency and the exclusion of certain stakeholders from decision-making processes.
“Non-transparent information regarding forest area status could significantly affect smallholders,” Andry stated during his presentation at the 4th Indonesian Palm Oil Smallholder Conference & Expo (IPOSC) 2024, attended by Palmoilmagazine.com on Thursday (19/9/2024) in Pontianak.
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He also stressed the importance of strong support from both the Indonesian government and the European Union to ensure the policy benefits independent smallholders.
Additionally, Rizal Affandi Lukman, General Secretary of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC), noted that current challenges should be seen as an opportunity to enhance sustainability in the palm oil industry. He emphasized the importance of implementing Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification and addressing land status issues, stating, “We are committed to increasing plantation productivity and resolving problematic areas.”
He also mentioned, from ISPO certification and publishing cultivation documents, there would be data to be the base in palm oil plantation development both in smallholders replanting program to escalate the productivity. “And improving unfinished area status,” Rizal said.
Chairman of Cultivation, Directorate of Palm Oil and Various Palm General Directorate of Plantation Ministry of Agriculture, Togu Rudianto Saragih said the stakeholders should play significant roles to cultivate palm oil plantation. “We do believe the collaboration among the government, the private, and the people would be the key to succeed palm oil plantation development nationally,” he said.
The meeting emphasized it would be significant to get transparency and participation from every related party to formulate policies that would massively deliver impacts for the industries. It is hoped, by the forum such this, the government would be more responsive to get inputs from every stakeholder to get sustainable wanted goals. (P2)
