Swisscham Members Shaping the Future of Indonesia’s Sustainable Agriculture Through Collaboration and Technology Innovations

Swiss-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce, also known as SwissCham Indonesia , an association of Swiss and Indonesian business players, held a panel discussion on "Shaping the Future of Indonesia's Sustainable Agriculture Through Collaborations and Technology Innovations."

During the panel discussion on 24 May 2023, the Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Dr. Ir. Musdhalifah Machmud, M.T., and SwissCham member companies shared about how the sustainable agriculture being developed in Indonesia by collaborations and technology innovation.

SwissCham member companies; 雀巢 , Syngenta , and Koltiva , who are involved in the dialogue, believe that the prospects for Indonesia's economy are truly exciting. With the right innovation and collaboration, all business players can prioritize sustainability development as a critical step toward realizing national economic growth and helping Indonesia achieve economic recovery amid global economic uncertainty.

Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia , Musdhalifah Machmud, said, "I believe we can shaping the future of Indonesia's Sustainable Agriculture through Collaborations and Technology Innovations."

Head of Swiss Economic Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland in Indonesia , Philipp Orga , said that through its Cooperation Program, Switzerland is committed to supporting the production of sustainable commodities in Indonesia. The Swiss-funded Sustainable Landscape Program Indonesia (SLPI) works with private sector companies in 10 districts on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan to create economic opportunities for farmers while at the same time protecting the environment and addressing climate change.

Head of Corporate Sustainable Agriculture of Nestlé Indonesia, Syahrudi said that “in Nestlé, we grow together with our farmer partners to advance the regenerative farming practices, at the heart of our food system. We believe the collaboration that we build towards sustainable agriculture, will create benefits for farmers, businesses, and in the same time, create a positive impact for the environment.”

President Director of Syngenta Indonesia , Mr. Kazim Hasnain said Indonesia’s farmers must meet the changing needs of our environment and the expectations of regulators, consumers, and food processors and retailers. There are increasing pressures from climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss and from consumers’ changing tastes in food and concerns about how it is produced. And the natural world that farming works with – plants, pests and diseases – continue to pose their own challenges. Syngenta Indonesia’s business values focus on advancing the technologies that farmers use to increase their productivity and profitability, while ensuring, though science, that such technologies also address the sustainability challenges in farming.

CEO of Koltiva, Manfred Borer , said, "At Koltiva, we understand the critical role of traceability in establishing responsible and ethical supply chains, benefiting our customers, stakeholders, and the environment. With the agriculture sector's significant contribution to Indonesia's GDP, we recognize the importance of innovative solutions to promote sustainability while complying with regulatory standards. The European Union's Council and Parliament recently agreed on a regulation to minimize deforestation and forest degradation. This regulation will ensure that certain products no longer contribute to deforestation and forest degradation in the EU market. Businesses will be required to demonstrate that their products are free from deforestation and comply with applicable laws in the country of production. KoltiTrace, our traceability system, enables comprehensive mapping and monitoring of zero-deforestation commitments, assisting over 6,300 enterprises in achieving traceable and resilient supply chains. Koltiva is committed to combating deforestation and working towards global environmental protection."

Having sustainability as one of Switzerland's interests in Southeast Asia Strategy 2023 - 2026, SwissCham Indonesia is committed to supporting the member companies' sustainable aspects and exploring further ties with the Indonesian Government.

Press Release Published by SwissCham Indonesia .