Improve Palm Oil Governance Too

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Workers harvest oil palm in the plantation area of PT Sawit Sumbermas Saran Tbk (SSMS) in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, Thursday (29/4/2021).

The black campaign against palm oil continues amid issues of climate change and business competition. Indonesia must explain its stance.

The European Parliament and the Council of Europe are drafting a law to ban products linked to deforestation from entering the European Union. These products include beef, coffee, cocoa, soybeans, wood and palm oil. The country of origin will thus have to prove that its agricultural commodities are not linked to deforestation throughout its supply chain.

Also read:

> Message about the Future of Areca Palm Midribs

> Promoting Areca Nuts to Compete Globally

> Savoring the Sweet Honey from Jambi Farmers amid Pandemic

Deforestation is deemed a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Forests are considered the lungs of the world that absorb carbon and release oxygen. Forests are also a source of biodiversity, which is important for the sustainability of life on Earth.

We agree that forests are vital ecosystems for Earth, but we also want consumers in developed countries to consider the interests of the producing countries. Palm oil makes up around 35-40 percent of the world’s consumption of vegetable oil. Indonesia and Malaysia produce 85 percent of that amount. For Indonesia, palm oil is its largest foreign exchange earner for non-oil and gas exports, worth US$27.3 billion during the January-October 2021 period.

KOMPAS IMAGES/RODERICK ADRIAN MOZES

Workers supervise machines while processing palm fresh fruit bunches into Crude Palm Oil (CPO) at Asian Agri's Factory Made I in Siak Regency, Riau, some time ago

Indonesia and Malaysia have both agreed to fend of black campaigns against palm oil in the European market as an important market for palm oil products. The joint campaign within the framework of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) was declared by Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto and Malaysian Agriculture and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin. (Kompas, 6/12/2021)

The EU has determined that it will not accept any products that were made in deforested and degraded land after 31 December 2020. This gives Indonesia time to improve forest governance and sustainable agricultural production.

For that, we must master the science and technology of palm oil, from seedlings to processed products.

Increasing palm oil production can be done without clearing new land, but through improving cultivation technology and environmentally friendly biotechnology. Oil palm trees that are almost 30 years old can be immediately rejuvenated with new plants with higher productivity. For that, we must master the science and technology of palm oil, from seedlings to processed products.

We also need to improve the governance of oil palm plantations. These plantations should not interfere with the presence of wild animals, including orangutans, elephants and tigers, and neither should it disrupt peatlands or become sources of fires.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI MASRY

The peat conservation area of the Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Trumon District, South Aceh Regency, Aceh has been encroached for planting oil palm as seen on Sunday (24/10/2021).

The EU pays special attention to smallholders in terms of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, partnerships between smallholder farmers and plantations must be fairer and more equal.

Another challenge this poses is that 76.64 percent of smallholder plantations are located in forest lands and do not meet the sustainable criteria in terms of legality and governance. Legality issues need to first be resolved to provide legal certainty for farmers and to boost enthusiasm for rejuvenating and maintaining oil palm plantations. This is all needed to allow our palm oil to be accepted by the EU.

(This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia).