Antara 30 Apr 11;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has through the agriculture ministry launched an oil palm green product campaign in Spain and France to anticipate negative issues about the commodity relating to the environment.
Agriculture Minister Suswono said here on Saturday the oil palm green product campaign was designed to convey information and communicate the policy and efforts to develop the national oilpalm industry by paying attention to the principle of sustainability.
When visiting Madrid and Paris, the Indonesian delegation conveyed concern and objection against the negative views of NGOs on the development of palm oil and the importing countries`s rules that led to a negative impact on Indonesian palm oil export.
"The campaign was held in the forms of seminars and meetings with the related officials of Indonesia, Spain and France," the minister said.
In a meeting with the Spanish minister for Environment, village and fisheries affairs as well as the French Agriculture minister,
Minister Suswono said, he conveyed the Indonesian government commitment in the implementation of the Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil System and concern on the environmental criteria listed in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) that has potential as a Non-Tariff Barrier in the trade.
"The French government can understand the concern of Indonesia and expects to obtain input from the results of research on palm oil which can be used as an evaluation of policies related to the use of palm oil in the country," Suwono said.
In addition to Spain and France, Indonesia will also conduct the similar campaign to the United States on May 23.
"We will explain clearly about the development of oil palm in Indonesia," Suswono cited, adding that his office will also hand Orangutan to the U.S. government in order to show the government`s attention to wildlife-related development of oil industry.
At present, the land used for oil palm development in Indonesia is only about six percent out of the country`s forest area that reached 137 million hectares.
Oil palm plantations contribute about 45-46 percent of carbon emissions reductions.
(Uu.B003/HAJM/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
