BANJARMASIN, S Kalimantan: Indonesia needs to strengthen diplomacy and communications of the palm oil sector on a global level. Palm oil is not like the accusations that many European and American countries have been accused, AntaranewsKalsel reported.
Although scientific research and data have largely dismissed the negative campaign of palm oil, a structured, systematic and massive effort that hampers Indonesia’s strategic commodities is still ongoing.
“We need to strengthen diplomacy and communication at the global level,” said Joko Supriyono, Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneur Association (GAPKI) in front of a number of senior diplomats of the-57th Senior Diplomat Course (Sesparlu) attendants at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Training Center in Jakarta some time ago.
In addition to Indonesian diplomats, also present senior diplomats of friendly countries.
Joko explained that one of the negative campaigns is related to forestry issues, such as deforestation, biodiversity, and the accusations of palm oil industry that penetrated peatlands to cause forest fires.
The accusations that the palm oil industry is the cause of forest fires, according to Joko, are not true at all while pointing out the documentation and news that forest fires also occur in other countries, both in America and Europe.
The fires in the United States and Europe, he said, illustrated that the country so far that often on behalf of the world’s interest on the importance of protecting the environment, was also experiencing forest fires.
“I ensure that the Indonesian oil palm sector meets the principles of sustainability,” Joko said.
In fact, said Joko, since 2014 the government obliges all oil palm plantations in Indonesia to be Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certified. The government is currently strengthening the ISPO to be increasingly accepted internationally.
Meanwhile, Dinna Wisnu Ph.D., associate professor of Atmajaya University, who is also the facilitator of this event, deliberately invited palm oil industry actors to share information in front of diplomats who follow Sesparlu program.
“Isn’t Indonesia’s mainstay oil and gas and non-oil and gas sector. The most appropriate for non-oil and gas is oil palm industry,” she said.
Dinna explained that diplomats need to be given insight into how Indonesia’s strategic commodities are facing various global pressures.
According to her, diplomats seemed enthusiastic and their insights began to more open about oil palm.