Palm Oil Support 20 Percent of Indonesia Population

PRESIDENT Director of the Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDPKS) Dono Boestami has once again said to international community that Indonesian palm oil industry is a key feature of the country’s economy given the fact that it supports the livelihood of 20 percent of Indonesia population. He said, more than 20 million people make a living from palm oil sector in Indonesia. “If a worker supports two or three people, then palm oil industry support the livelihood of 20 percent of Indonesia population,” Dono said at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakara, Monday (19/11/2018). Dono delivered the message to participants of Regular Oil Palm Course 2018, a short course program organized by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with BPDPKS, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and University of Jambi. Participants came from various background, including environmentalists, academia, consultants, and researchers from 11 countries- Australia, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hungary, UK, Italy, France, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, and Spain. Dono said palm oil industry has greatly contributed to the country’s economy by reducing the number of people in poverty. Last year it contributed Rp243 trillion to the national economy income, far higher than contribution of oil, gas and tourism sector. “Since year 2000, palm oil industry has lifted 10 million people out of poverty, of which at least 1.3 million lived in rural areas.” On the same occasion, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdurrahman M. Fachir asserted that Indonesian palm oil industry has been strictly controlled through sustainable practices. It this case, it is deemed necessary for the government to share experience and knowledge with international community about this achievement. The Regular Oil Palm Course 2018 is expected to help international community to increase awareness on palm oil. A part from having lectures, participants will also have a chance to visit oil palm plantation in Jambi. “We would like reaffirmed our commitment to implement sustainable palm oil and to combine it with implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),` Fachir said. ***