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Head of CURDP of ICECRD-Assistant Director for Programme and Executive Secretary of NAM CSSTC Seek Collaboration in Sustainable Palm Oil
Jakarta (19/2/2018) – Head of Cooperation and Utilisation of Research and Development on Plantation (Head of CURDP) of Indonesian Centre for Estate Crops Research and Development (ICECRD), Assistant Director for Programme and Executive Secretary of Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) explored collaboration in implementation of capacity building programme on Sustainable Palm Oil (SPO). Next month, NAM CSSTC will hold a follow-up meeting in Bogor.
Assistant Director for Programme of NAM CSSTC, Niken Supraba said that the exploratory discussion was follow up meeting after talks between NAM CSSTC Director Prianti Gagarin Djatmiko-Singgih and a number of Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture (IMA) officials at opening ceremony of 2017 International Workshop on Coconut Development.
“Ambassador Ms. Prianti expected NAM CSSTC and IMA can work together on the matter,” she said when opening a meeting with Jelfina Costansje at the NAM CSSTC Secretariat on Monday (19/2).
Niken said, NAM CSSTC intended to explore collaboration in implementation of capacity building programme on SPO certification. SPO certification is a decree issued by IMA to improve competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil in domestic and foreign markets.
She said, the meeting initiative at the NAM CSSTC Secretariat was also intended to identify difficulties facing NAM member countries regarding certification of oil palm plantation.
“There is a black campaign effort in European Parliament addressing issues of climate change and biodiversity as a tool to prevent entry of palm oil products to European market,” said Executive Secretary of NAM CSSTC, Pinkan Ovanita Tulung.
On the occasion, Head of CURDP ICECRD, Jelfina Costansje said implementation of capacity building programme could be used as a means to introduce various solutions for SPO problem.
“Director of ICECRD welcomes NAM CSSTC’s desire to work together in palm-oil-related capacity building programme. This programme is expected to overcome farmers’ difficulties related to land legalities, high certification costs and inability of farmers to meet Roundtable on SPO (RSPO) certification requirements,” Jelfina said.
The former researcher of Indonesian Palm Crops Research Institute (IPCRI) said she recently attended a meeting at the Directorate General of Plantation (DGP) of IMA to discuss Indonesian SPO (ISPO).
“It would be nice if this capacity building programme will also provide space for formation of Team of Experts who will be tasked to survey benefits of ISPO and RSPO for plantations,” she added.
According to Jelfina, Director of ICECRD hoped that NAM CSSTC Director along with her staffs could visit Bogor to discuss task distribution at ICECRD, Bogor.
At the meeting, Jelfina also expressed her hope that NAM CSSTC could bring together SPO certification experts and practitioners from Malaysia and Thailand.
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