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.

However, he ensured that the quality of palm oil is superior, as its production is 10 folds higher than the oil obtained from sunflower and soybean seeds. Unfortunately, fair comparisons never arise due to negative campaigns, such as the stereotype on the impacts of palm oil on forest destruction, affect on human health, and disruption of habitats of protected animal species.

In fact, the contributions of the palm oil industry include creating employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in developing countries.

If this unfair campaign is not handled, then the closest obstacle for Indonesia will be faced in 2021 when the EU Parliament will ban palm oil imports for use in bio-fuels and bio-liquids, including bio-diesel.

"For Indonesia, research results from Stanford indicate that the poverty rate reduced from 0.41 to 0.39 due to the palm oil as one of the largest commodities. If we do not prevent this form of discrimination, then several million people will reel under the impacts of poverty," he added.

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