Continuing with the series of FGDs on the development of national forest bioeconomy policies in Indonesia, FORCLIME, supported by Bappenas, held a recent FGD that addressed the potential of the forest product processing industry and the role of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in supporting forest bioeconomy development in Indonesia. This FGD was held on 18 November 2022 in Yogyakarta and was also conducted online.

The meeting was opened by Mrs. Dr. Nur Hygiawati Rahayu, ST, MSc, Director of Forestry and Water Resources Conservation at the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, and was divided into two sessions. During the first session, the FGD focused on the potential development of forest products to support the bioeconomy. The first resource person taking part in this session was Mrs. Aida Greenbury of the World Bioeconomy Forum. Mrs. Greenbury offered an overview of current issues relating to international bioeconomy forums, as well as examples of existing bioeconomy development strategies that are being pursued in other countries. Some of the enabling conditions required to support bioeconomy development include the availability of bio-databases, regulation of the roles and responsibilities of key ministries, investment research and analysis, demand formation and market ecosystems, and international cooperation.

The next resource person to offer insights into this area was Mrs. Merrijantij Punguan Pintaria, ST, M.Eng, who is the Director of the Forest and Plantation Products Industry at the Ministry of Industry. Mrs. Merrijanti provided information on the profile and performance of the forest and plantation product industry and the economic conditions of global manufacturing, as well as policies in Indonesia that have the potential to support the development of the bioeconomy industry. Coordination of the upstream/downstream industry with the Investment Coordinating Board/Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM) also represents an important form of capital capable of encouraging investment in accordance with domestic requirements and as a part of efforts aimed at increasing the strength of the upstream sector, including the forestry sector.

During the second session, the discussion focused on the concept and role of ABS in supporting bioeconomy development. The resource persons for this session were Mr. Hartmut Meyer and Mr. Olivier Rukundo from GIZ and Mr. Rik Kutsch Lojenga from the Union for Ethical Biotrade. These two experts explained that ABS could offer legal certainty to owners of genetic resources and researchers, as well as encourage product development and guarantee fair profits for the parties involved. ABS implementation requires a clear policy framework and strong coordination between relevant ministries and government agencies. There are a number of best practices for the implementation of ABS that provide benefits for a country, however, in some countries, ABS actually hinders the development of research into genetic resources. Therefore, a thorough analysis of the existing legal frameworks must be carried out to avoid any duplication or conflict with existing regulations.

For more information, please contact:
Nurdita Rahmadani, Junior Advisor for Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
R. Rizka Dewi Zuleika, Junior Advisor for Sustainable Forest Management
Pipin Permadi, Senior Advisor and Liaison Officer
Wandojo Siswanto, Strategic Area Manager for Forest Policy and Climate Change