REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia has gained support from two UN agencies -- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) -- related to the issue of discrimination of palm oil products. The support against the discrimination of palm oil was obtained, as it is related to humanitarian problems, poverty, hunger, and agriculture and helps to improve the living standards.

"IFAD and FAO fully support us. IFAD will organize back-to-back conferences in Bali, while they as well as the FAO will also adopt an approach," stated Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan in a written statement on Thursday.

According to Pandjaitan, the support was offered, as all parties had agreed to the principle of "Sustainable Development Goals" that target poverty alleviation. "The issue of palm oil is a matter of concern and must be solved in an integrated manner, as it is related to poverty alleviation," he explained.

Pandjaitan expressed hope that the public would be able to understand the difference among the three major agricultural products that produce the oil in order to have a fair assessment of palm oil. "It is okay to compete between palm oil and sunflower, or with soybean," he added.