Indonesia, as the world's largest palm oil producer, plays a crucial role in ensuring global food and energy security amid rising population levels. "For Indonesia, palm oil is a strategic commodity vital to achieving food and energy self-sufficiency," said Kacuk Sumarto, Chairperson of Rumah Sawit Indonesia (RSI), in Jakarta on Monday, November 18. According to Sumarto, the global population is projected to increase from 8.2 billion in 2024 to 8.5 billion by 2030, reaching 10 billion by 2080, as forecasted by the United Nations (UN). This surge in population will drive higher food and energy demand, even as the Earth's capacity diminishes due to overexploitation of resources, unwise fertilizer use, and climate change. These challenges have reduced food availability ratios, leading to rising food prices. Simultaneously, growing human activity will spike energy needs, even as fossil fuel reserves deplete. Developing renewable energy, therefore, is essential to mitigating carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
Sumarto emphasized that Indonesia must establish robust policies for food and energy independence, shielding its supply from global uncertainties. Palm oil plantations, spanning 16.8 million hectares across the nation, offer significant potential for supporting sovereignty in these sectors. Palm oil not only produces food and energy commodities but also provides opportunities for intercropping with other crops on approximately 1 million hectares through consistent replanting initiatives. This could lower logistics costs, especially for local consumption. On November 18, RSI will host a seminar in Jakarta themed “Achieving Food, Energy, and Economic Sovereignty Through Palm Oil Plantations Towards Indonesia Gold 2045,” featuring government and business leaders. The event will precede RSI's first congress on November 19.
