Cocoa crop is an
export commodity that is classified as excellent, though the level of domestic
consumption is still quite low but the number of beans in exports is high even
Indonesia currently is ranked third largest cocoa producer of the world, at
least Indonesia produces about 580,000 tonnes of cocoa and export 380,000 tons
annually. Potential and prospects of Indonesian cocoa plant is very large
considering the suitability requirements grow cocoa plants to soil conditions
and climate of Indonesia is very appropriate. This great potential also
encourages investors to invest not only in Indonesia but also build
partnerships with governments and NGOs to implement various programs to improve
the productivity and quality of the national cocoa.
The high demand
for cocoa beans last few years followed by the swift issue of global warming,
environmental sustainability and the demand for healthy food ingredients
produced from organic agricultural cultivation. Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European
Union has set rules for the use of agricultural chemicals, related residue
limits of pesticides and active ingredients banned and globally applicable to
agricultural products are exported, either from plantations people or
industrial estates. Demand cocoa beans with lower levels of chemical
contamination or controlled by the global market, led to the birth
certification of agricultural products / plantation, which in this paper is
related to the certification of sustainable cocoa.
Quoting from the
Handbook regulations, standards and certification for exports of agricultural
products (FAO) in 2007, certification means that verification by a third party
or independent certification bodies on consumer demand for manufacturers to
ensure the production process of certain products produced adhere to certain
standards, while certificate means written guarantee granted by an independent
certification body which states that a production process has complied with
some specific standard. These standards include a focus on environmental
problems (soil conservation, water protection, pesticide use and waste
management), social (labor protection, child labor, health and safety) and food
safety.
The term
certified sustainable cocoa Peasants Indonesia is still limited to management
of the garden organically, but sustainability is not just input use organic but
means a systematic and planned how farm management not only aims to increase
production but is a unity of purpose to increase production and quality of
cocoa beans were correlated the improvement of the standard of living of
farmers and their families, to preserve the nature and reduce production costs,
through the application of best agricultural practices including the cocoa farm
business analysis and application of environmental best practice. Sustainable
cocoa certification also requires to uphold the principles of human rights,
protection of workers, protection of underage workers and freedom of
association for workers in the cocoa sector.
The
implementation of best practices in plantation certification is a cocoa field
management package that is ideal for not only for farmers but for the future of
agriculture and the world as a whole. Management of cocoa farm, known as
Plantation Best Practices, requires farmers to embrace the practice of
fertilizing, pruning, harvesting often and sanitation to control plant pests
and diseases of cocoa and improve quantity and quality of production of
farmers. The use of chemicals, especially fertilizers and pesticides,
recommended by the provisions as necessary and not excessive in other words,
practice the right dose, the right way, on time and on target so it does not negatively
impact the health of farmers and does not pollute the environment in the short
term and long term, In order to suppress the excessive use of chemicals at the
same time protecting the environment, farmers are invited to farming /
gardening organically. Organic farming not only indicate an increase in the use
of organic inputs, in the form of organic fertilizer and pesticide plant but
more than that over the garden management techniques that utilize natural
products as a source of nutrients and control pests and diseases of cocoa
plants by tissue culture techniques. Making rorak by utilizing the remnants of
pruning and fruit leather can be used as fertilizer as well as to break the
life cycle of pests and plant diseases as long as it is done appropriately
cocoa. Control efforts pest and disease cocoa can also be done with a variety
of crops that scented sting like galangal, serrei, ginger and others and for
improving the fertility of the soil, providing nutrients needed by plants and
control of various types of plant diseases cocoa farmers can capitalize on
microorganisms Local (MOL) as decomposers and microbes in the soil activator.
In addition to organic methods, the method agroforestry also be a wise choice
for farmers by planting shade trees of various types, will provide benefits for
the restoration of habitat for natural enemies
or predator of pests of cocoa plants and becomes a filter for the spread
of the virus source plant diseases cocoa carried by the wind and reducing
exposure to direct sunlight, which if not set then the negative effect for
cocoa plants. This method not only minimize the use of chemical pesticides but
at the same time also reducing farmers' costs. Of course this is in line with
efforts to improve the living standards of farmers through increased production
package with low production cost. Application of the above estate practice at
the same time also supports efforts to preserve the environment as a whole.
Basically a lot
of things that can be applied, which is part of the best farm practices. At
this point, certification plays an important role because it managed to
"intervene" practice of cultivating cocoa farmers, it's just very
unfortunate because the rights holder certificate sustainable cocoa in
Indonesia is still held by the company or the importer that facilitates the
process of certification of cocoa plantations owned by farmers. This of course
is not yet fully in line with expectations all of us to improve the lives of
cocoa farmers, since farmers are the managers and owners of cacao plantation is
fitting well into the right holder cocoa certification certificate.
The situation
should be re-examined above together, the lack of socialization and government
efforts to increase the awareness of farmers and take a significant role to
improve the bargaining position of farmers making cocoa farmers lose its great
potential to improve their lives.
Certification of
sustainable cocoa has very significant benefits not only for farmers but also
for the growth of the national economy, especially the agriculture sector.
Certification of sustainable cocoa beans, as quoted from confectionerynews.com,
ideally farmers get incentives of US $ 150-200 Metric Tons, for their garden
that has been certified. Or assuming the exchange rate of Rp. 10.000 / US $
1 farmer can earn Rp. 1,500 up to 2,000 per kg. This is a decent figure to be
farmers use as an investment to maintain garden conditions to remain good. In
Indonesia, for certification costs borne by the company, then the certificates held
by the company's sustainable cocoa. But this is because the company ignored the
cost of labor and means incurred by farmers. Assuming a monthly wage of 1.2
million, where the process of preparing the garden for certification takes one
year, the labor cost is Rp. 144 million. Though the cost of certification
gardens do not reach that number (the site-Indonesian cocoa). Once again the
government is very significant role in efforts to improve the bargaining
position of farmers as a form of defense of government to cocoa farmers. The
production of cocoa plantation folk had contributed not a little to the
economic growth of this country, both in terms of quantity of cocoa beans
exported every years and in terms of foreign investment, especially exporters of
cocoa in various regions in Indonesia.
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