Batik sawit Nusantara, batik that uses palm wax, was produced in response to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s appeal to develop downstream businesses in the palm oil industry to spur development in other industries.

The President’s call encouraged business players to explore and capture the potentials of palm oil products and derivatives.

The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI/IPOA) formally presented Batik Sawit Nusantara, a collaborative project involving individuals across several generations, to President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin.

The association also presented 55 pieces of Indonesian palm-based batik to Cabinet ministers.

GAPKI deputy chairman Togar Sitanggang explained that palm wax, a derivative product made from crude palm oil (CPO), was an innovation resulting from a joint research conducted by GAPKI and the National Research and Innovation Agency’s Organization for the Assessment and Application of Technology Research (OR PPT-BRIN) and intended for use in making batik.

According to project head Togar, Batik Sawit Nusantara addressed the challenge to develop oil palm to derive more benefits from the raw material.

“The making of batik sawit Nusantara has been based on a the belief that the benefits of oil palm, as part of Indonesia’s natural wealth, must be continually explored and promoted. [In addition], the call to develop downstream activities in the palm oil sector needed responding to,” he told a virtual press conference organized by GAPKI on Oct. 18.

Togar expressed the hope that the new palm-based batik, which was dense with meaning, would inspire President Jokowi and his Cabinet to promote Indonesian palm oil at various forums.

The collaborative project involved researchers, batik makers and designers from different generations, including OR PPT-BRIN researcher Indra Budi Susetyo and renowned batik maker Wirasno.

Millennial designers Herdiyanto and Syihan Rama Santosa, known for their prolific work in the creative industry, provided the batik designs.

The batik presented to the President was designed with the “Cipta Dira” motif symbolizing creation and wisdom, according to Herdiyanto.

“Dira also has another meaning, namely as an abbreviation of Indonesia Raya [great Indonesia]. The [combined] name ‘Cipta Dira’ is a symbol of hope referring to wisdom in maintaining the [mandate of] trust and glory given to leaders,” he said at Tuesday’s press conference.

Syhan Rama, who designed the “Panca Jagat” motif for Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, said the motif contained the four basic elements of water, air, earth and fire. The motif symbolized “Sang Hyang Agung” (the universe), meaning that when nature was content and happy, so was humankind.

“The picture of kujang (Sundanese blade weapon) and deer antlers in the Panca Jagat creates a motif replete with meaning. This [project] started in Bogor, the city where the first oil palm was planted in Indonesia,” Syhan Rama explained.

Herdiyanto said that designing batik involved more than depicting Indonesian culture and philosophy through the motifs, but also involved prayer.

“Every stroke of the batik we made for the President, Vice President and the Cabinet ministers contains a prayer from the Indonesian people, particularly struggling [workers] in the palm oil industry.”

Herdiyanto and Syhan Ram believed that batik and oil palm shared many similarities, with both industries telling the story of the sweat and struggles of the Indonesian people.

Batik also embodied the long journey of Indonesia’s cultural icon toward its eventual recognition in 2019 as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. Meanwhile, oil palm constituted the history of Indonesia’s economic growth as the commodity that saved the economy from the global financial crisis.

Wirasno, who has been making batik for more than 20 years, said palm wax was the equivalent of paraffin when used in the resist-dye technique.

“The colors are sharper and clearer because it resists the alkaline solutions and acids that result from synthetic dyes,” he said.

Wirasno also stressed the sustainability of the palm wax supply for use in batik making because it was produced domestically. Apart from its availability, he said, BRIN was continuing to innovate to improve the quality of palm wax while promoting environmental and sustainable manufacturing processes.

Meanwhile, president director Eddy Abdurrachman of the Indonesia Oil Palm Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) said the agency was committed to establishing partnerships with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to produce batik sawit Nusantara, especially in provinces that were centers of oil palm cultivation.

“With [our] cultural diversity, we hope that the batik designs and motifs made by Indonesians will become increasingly richer with local wisdoms. BPDPKS is committed to developing Batik Sawit Nusantara MSMEs in regions throughout Indonesia,” he said.

Batik is made in Java as well as many other regions in the country, including Sumatra.

Visit www.batiksawitnusantara.id to learn more about Batik Sawit Nusantara.

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