- Dr Musdhalifah Machmud, one of the Indonesian government’s key expert staff for the plantation sector, has given a wide-ranging interview with the Brussels-based Euractiv.
- She outlines Indonesia’s key concerns on the EUDR, and its impacts on Indonesia’s smallholders.
- Read the full article here and see key quotes below:
On smallholders and the impacts of the EUDR:
“It’s not just palm smallholders at risk—Indonesia has 8 million smallholders across palm, cocoa, coffee, and rubber, and timber. A recent study found that around 97.5% of Indonesia’s palm smallholders—over 2.5 million people—cannot meet the EUDR’s documentation requirements.”
“Many already comply with zero-deforestation and legality standards, but face challenges in proving it due to resource constraints and the complexity of the supply chain, where compliance must be documented at every stage.”
On Indonesia’s certification systems:
“ISPO is just one part of our palm oil sustainability strategy. We’ve also developed a National Dashboard to provide importers with accessible geolocation and other data on smallholder farmers.
We want the EU to support and build on these existing systems, rather than creating new ones. The Dashboard addresses privacy law constraints, as Indonesian regulations prevent sharing geolocation data without mutual consent.”
On EU and global opposition to the EUDR:
“It’s not just non-EU countries objecting – 45 countries have raised concerns, and even EU Member States are considering a delay and review of the regulations. We urge Commissioner nominee Jessika Roswall to evaluate whether the rules are fit for purpose or need to be streamlined.
If a review happens, there must be meaningful consultations with the EU’s trading partners, going beyond outreach to truly understand supply chains and the impact of these regulations. The widespread objections suggest a clear gap in the initial drafting and consultation process.”
See the full interview at Euractiv.