PALMOILMAGAZINE, PEKANBARU – The Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Commodity Cultivation in Smallholders-Based for Like-Minded Countries (LMCs) was successfully conducted in Bogor and Riau from June 22 to July 2, 2024. This event was a collaboration between the Ministry of External Affairs, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), and Lembaga Dana Kerja Sama Pembangunan Indonesia (LDKPI) of the Indonesian Republic.
Participants had the opportunity to visit a palm oil plantation in the Regency of Siak, Riau Province, where smallholders prioritize sustainable practices. Eighty smallholders had received the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification. The plantations integrate local wisdom and forest conservation into their cultivation methods, such as using biopesticides and organic fertilizers. They also implement traceability methods using polygon mapping.
In addition to the field visit, participants attended a gala dinner provided by Riau Province at Bale Serindit in the City of Pekanbaru. The event featured traditional welcome dances, Malay music, and local foods from Riau Province.
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Expert staff in Politics, Legal, and Security, Ministry of External Affairs Indonesian Republic, Ambassador Adam M. Tugio that represented Minister of External Affairs in the event hoped that every participant should learn the palm oil plantation best practices in Riau, namely the sustainability aspect and the smallholders’ contribution in palm oil industries.
“We hope, the visit would deliver lesson and advantages for every one of you and tell to your countries,” he said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, Wednesday (3/7/2024).
Assistant III Riau Province Secretariat, Elly Wardhani in her speech said that the stakeholders and smallholders would do the best to qualify ISPO certification. They are committed that every plantation commodity from Riau implemented the sustainable and environmental practices. “We hope that in the future, Like-Minded Countries would support one to another in sustainable practices in smallholders’ agriculture – base,” she said.
Ditya Agung Nurdianto, Director of Trade, Industry, Commodity, and Intellectual Rights Ministry of External Affairs, said that sustainable trade trend in the markets showed the regulations about environmental protection slowed down the agricultural and food trade. “Indonesia would always struggle for palm oil to be sustainable through diplomacy and norm-setting in many forums. Indonesia is always committed to sustainable agricultural practices,” he said.
The training itself was part of cooperation as the commitment of Indonesia to realize sustainable development goals (SDGs). It would be running for the next five years by focusing on the sustainable cultivation aspects for many plantation commodities by the farmers/smallholders. The smallholders/farmers directly contribute to realize SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
Besides, it would be significant to realize smallholders’ integration in the plantation commodity value chain globally through the policies published by the government to escalate their qualify of lives and welfare. This would be the same to realize SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 600 million smallholders in the world supplied one third of the good globally.
The participants also said that the training delivered advantages and inspired them to get new ideas and solutions about sustainable agriculture. It would be significant to develop cooperation and reinforce the relation among the developing countries. It is also hoped that by the training, the participants would go back to their countries and bring the idea and insight that they got and would implement sustainable plantations. Besides, the training is hoped to escalate cooperation and collaboration between Indonesia and other countries where the participants were from. (T2)
