Background

Palm oil has been used by many countries as a base for various products. In almost all aspects of everyday human life, these products are never separated. Starting from cooking activities in the kitchen, bathing, body and beauty care, fuel, valentine, to eating instant noodles. Everything, to some extent or much to do with palm oil.

However, palm oil is close to human life. Not infrequently, natural forests are the victims. In some cases, houses for rare animals and high biodiversity have been damaged because they were converted into oil palm plantations. This is the case for oil palm plantations that were built on local people's land without their knowledge, to the point that some were forcibly evicted from their own land. Including, violations of human rights and others.

Regardless of the number of reports on these cases. World organizations, government agencies, and other interested organizations are now pushing for palm oil produced and its plantations to apply sustainable principles. As a result, several companies and smallholders are now starting to adopt sustainable practices in both plantation management and palm oil production.

Despite being hit by health and environmental issues that are stipulated by the European Union, it has suppressed Indonesia's palm oil exports to countries that are members of the European Union. However, the demand for palm oil from Indonesia remains high. This is because the Indonesian palm oil market also includes European countries that are not members of the European Union and America. In addition, the EFTA trading block (Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland) has agreed to export palm oil and its derivatives after the Swiss referendum to re-establish trade cooperation in the palm oil sector. This has provided fresh air as well as a challenge for Indonesia to produce sustainable palm oil.

To find out more about what initiatives and agreements exist today and how the dynamics of Indonesian diplomacy in the international market, especially the issue of palm oil. Auriga Nusantara also made it the theme of the online discussion on Ngopini Palm Oil # 6: Palm Oil Market Demand and Indonesian Diplomacy in the Global Market.

Resource persons and presentation themes

• Direktorat Jenderal Kerja Sama Multilateral, Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia: Strategi Diplomasi Sawit Indonesia
• Bisuk Abraham Sisungkunon: Existing Instrumen Terkait Sawit Berkelanjutan, Perbedaan Dan Dampaknya Terhadap Pasar Sawit Indonesia
• Senior Policy Advisor Yayasan KEHATI: Peluang dan Tantangan Perdagangan Minyak Sawit antara Indonesia dan Eropa

Time and Location

Day/Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021

Time: 10.00 - 12.00 WIB

Location: Youtube Auriga

Participants

This activity will invite participants to represent palm oil parties, ministries/state agencies, companies/associations, civil society, academics, the media and oil palm planters.