Indonesia and US Eye Cooperation on Agricultural Technology

The second Indonesia-United States (US) Digital Technology Dialogue, focusing on the agricultural sector, was held in Houston, Texas in early December 2024.

IDXChannel - The second Indonesia-United States (US) Digital Technology Dialogue, focusing on the agricultural sector, was held in Houston, Texas in early December 2024. 

This event resulted in concrete outcomes, including opportunities for cooperation in the development of digital technology to enhance agricultural productivity in Indonesia, covering areas such as seed quality, land optimization, post-harvest management, and supply chains.

"This dialogue is organized to support the Asta Cita vision for achieving national food security and is part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP)," said former Consul General of Indonesia in Chicago and Head of the Indonesian delegation, Meri Binsar Simorangkir, in a media release, Monday (16/12/2024).

Other outcomes included the potential for start-up entrepreneurship cooperation in agriculture, farmer training and development by the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), and investment opportunities.

"Additionally, the program emphasized the importance of strengthening research, sharing experiences, and best practices from the United States," Simorangkir added.

According to Consul General of Indonesia in Houston Ourina Ritonga, the second Indonesia-US Digital Technology Dialogue specifically brought together key national stakeholders from Indonesia with various US entities related to agriculture, such as the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), agribusiness company Riviana Foods Inc, and a prominent agricultural university in the US, which is Texas A&M University (TAMU).

"This dialogue also agreed to form a Digital Agriculture Ecosystem to develop programs that not only increase food availability but also address aspects of distribution, access, and optimal utilization through collaboration among various stakeholders, including the government, society, and the private sector," Ritonga said.

The development of this ecosystem is expected to achieve resilient and sustainable food security and support overall community welfare, in line with the vision and mission of Asta Cita.

The Indonesian delegation participating in the dialogue consisted of various stakeholders from ministries and relevant agencies, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Food Agency, state-owned enterprises such as BULOG and PTPN, private companies, and universities. (Wahyu Dwi Anggoro)