Indonesian President urge Norway not to discriminate the palm oil industry

The Indonesian President Joko Widodo has requested that the Norwegian Government avoid discriminating practices towards the Indonesian palm oil industry.

He made this request during a meeting with Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Erikson, this Sunday, 2 June 2024. The Norwegian Minister wasn’t alone during the meeting as he was accompanied by Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Minister, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, and Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani.

This request has been made after Indonesia has been protesting the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation. Indonesia sees the new EU regulation as discriminatory towards the palm oil industry.

The EU Deforestation-Free Regulation mandates that operators or traders need to prove that their products do not come from deforested land. If this is not possible then the product will not be allowed into the EU market.

“In the meeting, the President requested that Norway ensure accurate understanding and perceptions to prevent discrimination against palm oil,” stated Environment and Forestry Minister of Indonesia, Siti Nurbaya Bakar., and continued: “Indonesia is also scrutinizing the land inventory method, and we are continuously working on this”.

The Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment, Andreas Bjelland Erikson, responded by acknowledging the efforts the Indonesian government has already achieved. For instance the fact that they have managed to reduce deforestation by 90%.

However, the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation is set to apply from  30 December 2024. Beside Indonesia the regulation has been criticised by Malaysia and Thailand, among others.

Tags: EU Deforestation-Free Regulation, Indonesia, palm oil, Norway, discrimination