Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the 5th Jakarta Food Security Summit (JFSS) 2020 (via video conference), 18 November 2020, Merdeka Palace, Jakarta
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
May peace be upon us all,
Om Swastiastu,
Namo Buddhaya,
Greetings of Virtue.
Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet;
Distinguished Heads and Members of State Institutions;
Distinguished Head of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Mr. Rosan P. Roeslani and his ranks;
Honorable Ambassadors from friendly countries and representatives from International Agencies in Jakarta;
Distinguished Governors, Regents, and Mayors from all across Indonesia;
Distinguished Rectors and Representatives from Association of Financial Institutions;
Ladies and Gentlemen
Many countries in the world are getting more aware of the importance of the food sector development, not only by responding to food crisis possibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also in dealing with the growing demand for food as the impact of increasing world population. Almost half of the world’s population is in Asia, including in the three largest countries: China, India, and Indonesia.
This situation has opened up promising opportunities for the food sector. The need is enormous; the market is huge; and it will continue to grow. Nevertheless, the development requires new, innovative ways which aim to increase the efficiency of production process, to produce good quality food at affordable prices, to improve environmental carrying capacity, and to bring greater prosperity for farmers. And we must take a leap by adopting new methods and increasing the scale of production. In addition, farmer corporations should be used as the basis for food sector development and for prioritizing added value at the on-farm and off-farm phases and adopting modern technology that is more efficient and more productive in order to improve farmers’ welfare and also supporting.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I hope entrepreneurs who join the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) will be part of these new methods. The inclusive closed loop cooperation system initiated by Kadin needs to be continuously developed, especially in developing mutually beneficial partnerships between stakeholders from upstream to downstream. I support various collaborative initiatives involving farmers, cooperatives, banks and off-takers. Several ongoing collaborative initiatives, such as horticultural cooperation in Garut and palm oil industry in various regions that increase productivity and added value for farmers must be constantly updated and must be replicated in other areas.
In order to strengthen the initiative of productive collaborative in the food sector, I have ordered Kadin to continue to provide assistance to millions of independent farmers. I noted that it has been carried out at the beginning of 2020 and I am waiting for Kadin’s commitment to assist two million independent farmers in 2023. I believe Kadin will be able to achieve the target. I fervently hope that the inclusive collaborative business model can boost the food sector as a new economic power that provide more jobs and becomes a source of welfare for all Indonesian people.
That concludes my remarks.
By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I officially open the 5th Jakarta Food Security Summit of 2020.
I thank you.
Translated by Galuh Wicaksono H
Reviewed by M. Ersan Pamungkas