The world is facing major challenges in achieving climate and biodiversity targets. To that end, the International Research Institute for Environment and Climate Change (LRI LPI) IPB University initiated a bilateral dialogue between Indonesia and the European Union.
The dialogue was held together with the Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationales (IDDRI) and the Basque Center for Climate Change (BC3). This meeting discussed opportunities for cooperation between the European Union and Indonesia, especially regarding financing solutions for small farmers in efforts to transition to sustainable land use.
This topic emerged because forests, especially in tropical countries like Indonesia, play an important role in curbing climate change. However, pressure on forests continues to increase, one of which is due to the expansion of small-scale agriculture that is not yet supported by an adequate financing system.
“Indonesia has two major missions that must be achieved simultaneously, namely ending deforestation and eradicating national hunger by 2045,” said Prof. Damayanti Buchori, Head of the Center for Sustainability and Transdisciplinary Science Studies (CTSS) IPB University
Therefore, according to her, small farmers need to be supported to switch to more productive practices, resilient to climate change, and continue to contribute to forest conservation.
Frida Sund Falkevik from the European Union’s Directorate General for Climate Action explained Europe’s approach to encouraging sustainable agriculture and forestry practices through carbon farming regulations and carbon removal incentive policies.
Meanwhile, Aditya Nayu Nanda, CEO of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Indonesia, highlighted the various obstacles that small farmers still face in accessing financing sources.
“The challenges are becoming increasingly complex because the global market, including the European Union, now requires agricultural products that are free from deforestation through the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR),” he said.
In the closing session, Prof. Rizaldi Boer as Head of LRI LPI IPB University, emphasized that sustainable land transition requires not only the right policies, but also inclusive funding and cross-border collaboration.
“Collaboration between Indonesia and the European Union is expected to be a catalyst towards a low-emission development model that still guarantees farmer welfare and ecosystem sustainability,” he concluded. (*/Rz)