Swisscham Company Member Builds Sustainable Agriculture Future

JAKARTA - SwitzerlandCham Indonesia, the Swiss-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, as a Swiss and Indonesian business association held a webinar entitled Forming Indonesia's Sustainable Agriculture Future Through Collaboration and Technology Innovation.

In today's discussion panel, Tuesday, May 24, Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination, Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, Dr. Ir. Musdhalifah Machmud, M.T., together with SwissCham member companies explained how sustainable agriculture was built in Indonesia through collaboration and technological innovation.

SwissCham member companies; NestTTLE, Syngenta, and Koltiva, who were involved in this dialogue believe that Indonesia's economic prospects are very bright. With the right innovation and collaboration, all business actors can prioritize sustainable development as a critical step to realize national economic growth and help Indonesia achieve economic recovery amid global economic uncertainty.

Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination, Dr. Ir. Musdhalifah Machmud, M.T. said that his party is confident that it can form Indonesia's sustainable agricultural future through collaboration and technological innovation.

The head of the Swiss Economic Cooperation, the Swiss Embassy in Indonesia, Philipp Orga said that through the Cooperation Program carried out by the Swiss Embassy in Indonesia, the Swiss country is committed to supporting sustainable commodity production in Indonesia.

The Swiss-funded Indonesian Sustainable Landscape Program (SLPI) works with private companies in 10 districts on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan to create economic opportunities for farmers while protecting the environment and overcoming climate change.

Head of Corporate Sustainable Agriculture NestTTLE Indonesia, Syahrudi said that in Nestmen, his party grew up together with farmer partners to advance regenerative agricultural practices, as a heart in the food system.

"We believe the collaboration we build towards sustainable agriculture will create benefits for farmers, businesses, and at the same time create a positive impact on the environment," he said.

President Director of Syngenta Indonesia, Mr. Kazim Hasnain/Mr. Midzon Johannes explained that Indonesian farmers must meet changes in our environmental needs and hopes for regulators, consumers, as well as food and trader processors. There is increasing pressure from climate change, soil erosion and loss of biodiversity and from changing consumer tastes towards food and concerns about how it produces.

And agricultural nature, such as weeds, pests and disease, continues to be a challenge in itself. Syngenta Indonesia's business values focus on advancing the technology that farmers use to increase their productivity and profitability, while ensuring, through science, that the technology also overcomes the challenges of sustainability in agriculture.

Also in Koltiva, Koltiva CEO said, in Koltiva, his party understands the important role of tracing in building responsible and ethical supply chains, which benefit customers, stakeholders, and the environment.

With a significant contribution from the agricultural sector to Indonesia's GDP, you realize the importance of innovative solutions to promote sustainability while complying with regulatory standards. The Council and Parliament of the European Union recently agreed on regulations to minimize deforestation and forest degradation. This regulation will ensure that certain products no longer contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the European Union market," he explained.

"Bisnises will be asked to show that their products are free from deforestation and comply with applicable laws in production countries. KoltiTrace, our tracing system, allows mapping and comprehensive monitoring of zero deforestation commitments, helping more than 6,300 companies in achieving trackable and resilient supply chains. Koltiva is committed to fighting deforestation and working towards global environmental protection," he added.

The sustainability aspect is one of Switzerland's interests which is included in the Southeast Asian Strategy 2023-2026. In this regard, SwitzerlandCham Indonesia is committed to continuing to support the sustainability aspect in its member companies and exploring the potential for further collaboration with the Government of Indonesia.