FAO Celebrates 40 Years of Permanent Presence in Indonesia
The overall prosperity and well-being of populations around the world highly depend on how well countries manage their food and agricultural sectors, and their precious natural resources, such as land and water, and their fisheries and forest resources. For Indonesia, its vast natural resources, provide tremendous opportunities, as well as significant challenges, to ensure prosperity and wellbeing for both current and future generations.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is proud to have worked with the Government of Indonesia and its people for many decades to address these challenges with the goal to efficiently manage Indonesia’s natural resources, to eradicate poverty, and to ensure food and nutrition security for the population at large. As an international and inter-governmental organization, FAO has brought together expertise from around the world, while also working with Indonesian experts, including Indonesian farmers themselves, to support other nations seeking freedom from hunger and malnutrition, and economic prosperity.
By the late 1970’s, having worked for nearly three decades in support of developing Indonesia’s food and agricultural sectors, FAO established a fully-staffed FAO Representation in 1978. It is the 40th anniversary of FAO’s permanent in-country presence in Indonesia that we celebrate this year.
Over a period of seven decades, FAO completed over 650 projects and programs across the Indonesian archipelago in close collaboration with national counterparts, and the technical assistance of more than 1600 experts and consultants, both national and international. FAO’s fruitful collaboration with the Indonesian Government, as well as thousands of farming and fishing communities across the country has strengthened over time, and has resulted in a long-term trust and friendship between FAO and many government departments and agencies, as well as non-governmental actors in development.
“The relationship between FAO and Indonesia can best be described as a long-term partnership that has evolved over time. Traditionally, FAO has provided a substantial amount technical expertise in the food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors to Indonesia. However, FAO has also facilitated the sharing of Indonesia’s own expertise through south-south cooperation, not only in the Asia-Pacific Region, but worldwide”, said FAO Representative to Indonesia, Mark Smulders.
The anniversary of 40 years permanent presence in Indonesia, and 70 years partnership was held in Gedung Sapta Pesona, Ministry of Tourism, Jakarta (15/3). To commemorate this event, FAO Indonesia conducted a photo exhibition (photo essays from the 10 biggest FAO programmes in Indonesia), films screening and a World Food Day awards ceremony.
Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya in her remarks mentioned close collaboration with FAO since 1950’s ranging from forest industry development to forest working/logging, forest planning, forest fire management, fuelwood development, nature conservation and National Park development.
“With FAO support, Indonesia is currently writing a document on "the State of Indonesia's Forests", which presents the key policy measures the Ministry of Environment and Forestry is undertaking towards more sustainable forest management, while also providing the necessary evidence underpinning these policies “ Nurbaya said.
She added that MoEF will continue to strengthen its good collaboration and partnership with FAO in achieving both national priority goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also to help raise Indonesia’s profile internationally.
New Challenges in the partnership
Looking ahead, the FAO-Indonesia partnership will have to overcome new challenges, while seeking opportunities towards a prosperous nation. Apart from having to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, Indonesia still faces major challenges linked to rural poverty, climate change, population growth, rapid urbanization, and above all, to the need to ensure healthy and affordable diets for all citizens to overcome still high levels of malnutrition.
In support of this, the work of FAO today is more than ever aligned with the priorities of Indonesia in meeting the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through localized action. As the UN specialized agency in food and agriculture, with its feet firmly on the ground, FAO will continue to share its expertise in close cooperation with all of its members and partners to achieve the shared goal of #ZeroHunger and all of the other SDGs by 2030.
In Indonesia, FAO’s work with key line Ministries will continue through knowledge exchange in the latest methods, technologies and good practice in food and agriculture through targeted interventions, which can then be scaled up with Government’s own human and financial resources.
FAO will also provide the necessary policy advice to help redirect investment to where it will have a more positive impact on achieving greater food and nutrition security. “FAO and Indonesia need to continue working together to address these challenges as efficiently and effectively as possible, and not only for Indonesia, but for the world as a whole”, added Mark.
A short video about FAO 40 years permanent presence in Indonesia:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAtqm70VlT4
Selected Media Reports:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/amp/news/2018/03/16/agricultural-images.html (en)
https://tekno.tempo.co/read/1070692/Indonesia Agriculture a reference to the world
https://bengkulu.antaranews.com/berita/48677/UN partnership for more prosperous Indonesia
https://m.antaranews.com/berita/693380/FAO commits to increase cooperation with Indonesia
https://tekno.tempo.co/read/1070232/government hopes FAO portrays Indonesian Forest
https://jogja.antaranews.com/berita/353806/FAO commits to increase cooperation with Indonesia