Press Releases

24 May 2016
Golden Agri-Resources Chairman and CEO Franky O. Widjaja has reiterated the company’s support for the Indonesian Government’s moratorium on new palm oil licenses. This statement clarifies Mr. Widjaja’s statements at the Responsible Business Forum Jakarta on 25 April.

Speaking on a panel at the Forum Mr Widjaja said that the moratorium is good, which in short-term will accelerate businesses to increase productivity through intensification and would provide impetus to the implementation of nation’s One Map project.

Going on to speak about the challenge of feeding a global population of 9 billion people in 2050 with demand of vegetable oil will increase up to 200 million ton, Mr Widjaja called for a parallel discussion to plan and find solutions to address this need in the most efficient and productive way. His comments were illustrative of the challenge ahead, and were not a call for extensification of the industry in Indonesia.

“I believe that the moratorium, when coupled with investments in intensification of the palm oil industry, particularly an emphasis on increasing smallholder yields, will improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the Indonesian industry,” Mr Widjaja said.

“However, we as a responsible industry must also look to the future and begin now to discuss how we can meet the food oil needs of a world of nine billion people. These are complementary conversations and not as contradictions as has been suggested in several news reports in recent days.”

For further information, please contact:
Ayesha Khan / Joy Cha
Mobile: (65) 9783 1944 / (65) 9784 8790
Email: [email protected]