Agenda 21 Bab 16 Indonesia

Posisi Indonesia 2002

ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND MANAGEMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY

Decision-Making: The State Ministry of Research And Technology (SMRT) coordinates the management of biotechnology issues in Indonesia in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and State Ministry of Environment. As the follow up on the Convention on Biodiversity, Indonesia has issued Law n° 5/1994, which stipulates the need for a protocol to regulate the issue of Living Modified Organism (LMO). MOU on Biosafety and the Safety of Genetically Modified Agricultural Products was released in September 1999 by Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Health and State Ministry of Food and Horticulture; followed by the ratification of Cartagena Protocol in May 2000.

Programmes and Projects: As mentioned in the National Agenda 21, the priorities of biotechnology development are given in 5 programme areas: agriculture, medicine, environment, development of biotechnology infrastructure, and biosafety procedures. SMRT has incorporated potential use of biotechnology in Strategic Policies of National Science and Technology Development (Jakstra Ipteknas) and National Primary Priorities on Research and Technology (PUNAS RISTEK). Further advancement of biotechnology is carried out through a variety of research programmes such as Integrated Advance Research (RUT), Collaborative Advance Research (RUK), and National Strategic Advance Research (RUSNAS).

Status : Biotechnology is a high priority area in the Indonesian science and technology development policy that accounts for 41,9% of the total research in 1995 RUT programme (www.ristek.go.id). In 2000, the State Ministry for Environment formed a “Team of Biosafety Protocol” involving government agencies and NGOs responsible for formulating measures and giving recommendations pertaining to biosafety issues. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture is conducting examinations on potential application of transgenic seed of agricultural plants such as corn, cotton and soybeans. The Ministerial Decree number 107 of 2001 regarding the Limited Release of Transgenic Cotton Bt DP 5690B has been released (Pikiran Rakyat Online, February 28, 2001). Protest emerged from the State Ministry for Environment and there is an on-going debate on the potential adverse impacts of transgenic cotton release to the environment and farmers. At present, a draft law on Biotechnology Products Resulted from Genetic Engineering is also being prepared (www.bapedal.go.id).

Capacity-Building, Education, Training and Awareness-Raising: A proposal of Increased Functional Financial Assistance for researchers, engineers, lecturers and technicians has been submitted by SMRT to the Minister of Finance in 2001.

Information: Several seminars regarding biosafety have been held by government institutions in cooperation with NGOs to inform the public of the risks of biotechnology application. SMRT is working together with the press office LKBN Antara in disseminating information and promoting the development and progress of science and technology to communities (www.ristek.go.id).

Research and Technologies: Government institutes engaged in the biotechnology research, for example, are the Research and Development Centre for Biotechnology (RDCB), (LIPI), the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the Central Research Institute for Food Crops (CRIFD)and the Ministry of Agriculture. Other institutions involved are the Centre for Universities (PAU), the Indonesian Research Institute for Sugar and the Indonesian Central Research Institute for Palm Oil.

Financing: Data from National Planning Agency show that research in agricultural biotechnology has been allocated Rp 20 billion for 4 years under RUT programme and Rp 2.5 billion per year for University Research for Graduate Program (URGE). However, expenditure of other institutes in biotechnology is not available (National Agenda 21).

Cooperation: According to National Agenda 21, international collaboration is carried out for infrastructure, project funding and joint research involving IARC (International Agriculture Research Centre), USAID, CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research) and BIFAD (Board on International Food and Agriculture Development).