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Leading Indonesian political and media outlets have promoted the growing possibility of a ban on all Belgian milk and dairy products entering Indonesia, following Belgian Minister Zakia Khattabi’s decision to ban Indonesian palm oil biofuels from entering Belgium. The official Indonesian Parliament website carries the comments of Dr. Herman Khaeron, Member of the International Trade

Dr. Herman Khaeron, Member of the Trade Commission in the Indonesian Parliament, has called for Indonesia to impose a reciprocal ban on Belgian exports, following the decision by Minister Zakia Khattabi to ban biofuels made from palm oil from 2022. MP Dr Khaeron states: “This is an act of trade protectionism” which “will directly harm

Deputy Coordinating Economics Minister for Food and Agriculture, Musdalifah Mahmud and Senior Economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), Fadhil Hasan, write in The Jakarta Post about what is at stake ahead of the upcoming EU-ASEAN Joint Working Group meeting on vegetable oils. The authors highlight the key issues for the

Indonesian President Joko Widodo shared a powerful message to the world, about Indonesia’s great track record in reducing deforestation to an all-time low, during the Virtual Climate Summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. President Jokowi highlighted the measures of the Indonesian Government in reducing deforestation “through policy, empowerment, and law enforcement, Indonesia’s deforestation rate

The UK needs to develop its own biofuels policy now that it has left the European Union. According to sources, the UK was for some time considering following the EU in its classification of palm oil biofuels as high-ILUC risk. This was led by the UK’s Environment Ministry (DEFRA) and Transport Ministry (DfT). This has

Indonesia’s President Jokowi this week attended President Biden’s Earth Day Summit. The Summit hosts 40 world leaders, including eight – a full 20 per cent of attendees –  from the European Union. It’s worth observing that just three attendees are from Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. Unlike past conferences, however, the emphasis does not

A number of key stakeholders from across the Indonesian Palm Oil Community have written to the European Commission urging the European Union “not to follow Greenpeace’s destructive approach” on sustainability certification for palm oil. The letter was signed by – Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI), Indonesian Palm Oil Board (DMSI), National Action Plan of Indonesian

Coinciding with International Forest Day, Deputy to the Coordinating Economics Minister, Musdalifah Mahmud and Expert Staff at the Office of the Vice President, Fadhil Hasan, write in The Jakarta Post that Indonesia’s forests, the largest forest area in Asia, “have long supported the welfare of communities and, above all, they form the backbone of the country’s

Earthworm Foundation, the quasi-NGO/for-profit business formerly known as The Forest Trust, released a new report arguing that overcapacity in palm oil mills in Kalimantan is driving forest loss. Let’s be clear: Earthworm’s report aims to cut off investment in the palm oil supply chain, particularly in the rural areas of Central Kalimantan. This is a

The decision by Swiss voters to support truth over fear, opportunity over barriers and small farmers from the Global South was a big win. This did not occur in a vacuum. Over the last several months, senior officials at the highest level in Indonesia and ASEAN have laid down the groundwork for solid public initiatives