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RI fails to include rubber and CPO in APEC green products list
Indonesia has failed to include crude palm oil (CPO) and rubber as well as their derivative products in the APEC Environmental Goods List
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ndonesia has failed to include crude palm oil (CPO) and rubber as well as their derivative products in the APEC Environmental Goods List.
'Indonesia is very disappointed with the rigidity of several main industrial countries, including the United States, which refused to discuss the possible adoption of agro-based products in the EGs List,' said the Trade Ministry's director general for national export development, Gusmardi Bustami, on Tuesday, as quoted by tempo.co.
In the APEC ministerial meeting in Surabaya, East Java, over the weekend, several developing countries such as Chile, Papua New Guinea, and Peru initiated a discussion on possible adoption of more commodities in the EGs List.
Several main industrial countries refused the initiative, however.
Gusmardi said by including CPO and rubber in the list, Indonesia hoped that the EGs List could be more balanced. Moreover, such adoption could encourage developing countries, which mostly still relied on the agriculture sector, to participate more actively in environment conservation.
'CPO is the most productive agricultural product because this offers the highest amount of yields compared to other similar-type agricultural products,' said Gusmardi.
"Therefore, both CPO and rubber are very eligible products that can be used to meet the global demands on not only vegetable oil but also renewable energy and other consumption needs."
The CPO, said Gusmardi, also could meet the need of improved livelihood among small-scale producers.
'This product is pro-environment, pro-trade, pro-development and pro-poor,' he said. (nai/ebf)
