TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Greenpeace Indonesia, in a statement on Wednesday, raised questions about Indonesia’s commitment towards deforestation after President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo asserted his intention to combat palm oil discrimination. The President mentioned this following a bilateral visit from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on January 9.

Among a number of bilateral cooperations discussed in the meeting, the two leaders pledged to strengthen ties under the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries. The cooperation aims to increase market share and fight discrimination against palm oil.

"The president did not openly mention European Union regulations in his statement, but we can deduce that is what he meant, considering previous accusations made by Indonesian officials," said Kiki Taufik, Head of Greenpeace Indonesia's Global Forest Campaign, on January 11.

In reality, according to the environmental watchdog, the new EU deforestation law should not be considered discriminatory, but rather part of a global push to reduce deforestation through increasing sustainability and transparency in commodity markets.

The European Union deforestation law prohibits commodities including soy, beef, palm oil, wood, rubber, cocoa, and coffee, along with some derivative products, from entering the EU market if produced through deforestation or does not meet traceability requirements.

In terms of palm oil, Indonesian CPO producers need only prove that there has been no deforestation in their concessions after the cutoff date of December 31, 2020.

“The EU deforestation law does not pose a threat to trade if the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia commit to stopping deforestation for palm oil. However, the leaders’ claims they will 'combat discrimination against palm oil' suggests that the two countries still intend to allow future deforestation,” said Kiki.

The EU deforestation law implies that member countries are finally taking responsibility for deforestation caused by their own consumption. Greenpeace sees this as beneficial for the environment and for social justice.

“We can’t continue to grab Indigenous lands and destroy rainforests as has often been done in the past to produce palm oil,” said Kiki. “The Indonesian government has also made similar commitments, including through its forest moratorium policy and Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 policy.”

As the Indonesian Palm Oil Smallholders Union has highlighted, there is an opportunity for smallholders to benefit from this if they are given support to document that they are producing without deforestation.

Malaysian PM and President Jokowi Strengthen CPOPC Cooperation

As reported on Monday, President Jokowi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to work together to combat discrimination against palm oil. Indonesia and Malaysia are the largest producers of the commodity.

"We also agreed to strengthen cooperation through the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) to increase the market for palm oil and fight discrimination against palm oil," Jokowi said in a press statement on Anwar Ibrahim's visit at the Bogor Palace, Monday, January 9.

PM Anwar Ibrahim met Jokowi Widodo at the Bogor Presidential Palace. His visit was focused on issues related to borders, trade cooperation between the two countries, migrant workers, and palm oil (CPO). This was Anwar's first official visit to Indonesia.

President Jokowi did not mention the European Union in his statement on discrimination. The EU is planning to phase out palm oil-based fuels by 2030 because citing CPO's link to deforestation.

GREENPEACE | TEMPO.CO

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