Jakarta, 4 April 2019 – As a country with 24 million small-scale farmers, agriculture is one of the main issues for President Joko Widodo’s administration. Recognizing the importance of down-to-earth diplomacy having a direct impact on society, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strengthens Indonesian agricultural diplomacy by hosting a conference which focusing on family farming and small-scale agriculture.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, hosted the “Regional Conference on Strengthening Southeast Asia’s Food Security, Nutrition, and Farmers’ Welfare through the UN Decade of Family Farming” in Jakarta, Indonesia on 4-5 April 2019.
By hosting this conference, Indonesia shows its leadership and initiative in implementing UN General Assembly resolution no 72/239 2017 regarding UN Decade on Family Farming (2019-2028) which emphasizes on the important role of family farmers as one of the key leaders in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The conference was attended by high level officials who work in 3 main areas: food security, nutrition and farmers’ welfare from ASEAN, Japan, South Korea and Timor Leste. It also attended by representatives from international organizations and national stakeholders.
In addition, there are also representatives from United Nations Rome-based agencies (RBAs), namely the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Program, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Also present at the conference to deliver keynote speeches, Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, and Minister of Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, Eko Putro Sandjojo, along with the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, A.M. Fachir.
Keynote speeches also delivered by the Assistant Director of FAO Regional Level of the Asia and Pacific Region, Kundhavi Kadiresan; former Deputy Minister of Trade and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Bayu Krisnamurthi; and AFA Secretary General, Estrella A. Penunia.
In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, said the number of farmer families in Indonesia has reached almost half of the total population with the majority having less than 1 hectare of land. Although having a good agricultural climate, Indonesia still faces a number of challenges. One of the challenges is the need for creativity to create sustainable solutions to improve food security, nutrition and the farmers’ welfare.
In the national and regional schemes, “The Indonesian government will and is always committed to achieving, maintaining and enhancing food and nutrition security, and ensuring the welfare of farmers both on a national and regional scale. Among others, through the mechanism of South South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)?
On the same occasion, Vice Foreign Minister AM Fachir emphasized not to forget the role of women and youth in maintaining food security. In many developing countries, most rural women are the main breadwinners, therefore ensuring their economic independence is very important. Inclusiveness and empowerment of the young generation is also needed to explore innovative ways to improve and maintain national food security.
Through this conference, Indonesian Government offers a variety of agricultural and nutrition policies that have been implemented at the national level to be transmitted to countries in the Southeast Asia region.
The delegation of the conference are currently negotiating a joint communique which shall reflect the commitment of countries in the region to enhance a concrete cooperation related to food security, fulfillment of nutrition, and improving the farmers’ welfare.
The Joint Communique is planned to be presented to the “UN Conference to launch the UN Decade on Family Farming” in May 2019 and to “FAO Conference” in June 2019, both will be held in Rome, Italy. ###
Originally published in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia website
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