JAKARTA – Global consumers have been increasingly aware on the sustainability of agricultural and plantation products, including the palm oil from Indonesia.
Such condition has encouraged Indonesia, as the world’s largest producer of palm oil, to renew its certification system of Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) so that it can be acceptable at the global market.
Besides, ISPO certification is expected to prove that the negative campaigns against Indonesian palm oil are wrong. “The ISPO certification will counter the negative campaigns that have been unfairly launched against our palm oil at the international stage,” the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) Chairman Joko Supriyono said during a webinar on “Socialization of New ISPO to Support ISPO Certification Target”, which was held virtually last week.
“This is urgent. The root of the problems that hindered the acceleration of ISPO certification should be found. I hope all member companies of Gapki should be certified this year,” said Joko.
The agriculture ministry’s Plantation Products Processing and Marketing Director Dedi Djunaedi shared Joko’s statement, saying that the issuance of agriculture ministry regulation (Permentan) No.38/2020 on the certification of Indonesian sustainable palm oil is a breath of fresh air to all palm oil stakeholders in Indonesia.
Dedi noted the Permentan No.38/2020, among others, stipulates the application of new criteria of transparency for plantations and growers in the ISPO certification. With the new ISPO certification, the palm oil is ready to enter Japan, which has regulated that palm oil products exported to the country should have the sustainability certificates since April 2021.
The industry ministry’s Forestry and Plantation Products Industry Director Edy Sutopo said that the integration and synchronization of sustainability principles and criteria in the palm oil industry is an important aspect in realizing the ISPO target, which is to build positive image of Indonesian palm oil as sustainable and traceable product, expand palm oil market access (especially in developing countries), strengthen palm oil resilience in dealing with the negative campaigns, and build a strong brand for Indonesian palm oil.
“The acceptance of ISPO by consuming countries of palm oil from Indonesia is necessary to expand its market access. The principles and criteria of ISPO are based on the 17 principles of sustainable development goals set by the United Nations (UN),” Edy said during the webinar which was moderated by Neurela Dessy Pidie.
Triningsih, director of accreditation of BSN, an institution of inspection and certification, said that the “new ISPO” provides a written guarantee on the consequences of liability and traceability aspect. The national accreditation committee (KAN) of ISPO has received a recognition from international accreditation agencies like APAC (Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation) and IAF (International Accreditation Forum).
“We want to show that the ISPO certification is not just a written certification. But it is something that can be accounted for,” said Triningsih. (*)
Source: majalahhortus.com | Featured image via rainforest-alliance.org