The new Memorandum of Understanding( MoU), signed in Jakarta on May 29, 2025, sets the stage for deeper research and innovation to address pressing industry challenges.

The signing occurred alongside the Indonesia-France Business Forum 2025 and was witnessed by senior officials, including Indonesia’ s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, and France’ s Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Eric Lombard.

The forum was part of French President Emmanuel Macron’ s official visit to Indonesia, aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation.

The collaboration between GAR and CIRAD commenced in 1996, predominantly through the SMART Research Institute( SMARTRI), GAR’ s primary research hub.

Since then, both organisations have pooled nearly IDR550 billion into agricultural R & D, addressing various issues such as environmental management, sustainable farming practices, and advanced agritech applications in palm oil.

In partnership with WWF Indonesia, the two institutions co-founded the International Conference on Oil Palm and the Environment( ICOPE). This platform unites international researchers and academics from across the globe.

The latest edition, held in February 2025, highlighted pressing issues, including the preservation of biodiversity and climate adaptation in the palm oil industry.

The renewed agreement outlines ongoing joint investment in scientific projects, particularly those that focus on plant physiology, climate modelling, and field-level resilience for smallholders. These efforts aim to safeguard livelihoods and ensure long-term productivity in the face of increasing climate challenges.

“ Our partnership with CIRAD brings together global scientific expertise with field research that addresses the realities of Indonesia’ s palm oil landscape. It enables us to develop innovative, practical, and scalable solutions, with benefits not just for our plantations, but for independent smallholders across Indonesia,” explained The Biao

Leng, President Director at Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food, a GAR subsidiary.

Beyond improvements at the farm level, the collaboration also aligns with Indonesia’ s national goals for food security and emissions reduction. Particular emphasis has been placed on agroforestry models that combine productivity with ecological balance.

CIRAD’ s Regional Director for Southeast Asian Island Countries, Jean-Marc Roda, stated:“ Our collaboration with GAR demonstrates how international partnerships can combine scientific rigour with practical results.”

It enables us to tackle key sustainability challenges such as climate resilience, land-use efficiency, and smallholder inclusion. This is a genuinely integrated approach to transforming the sector.

CHINA’ S leading vegetable-producing city, Shougang, is applying its advanced agricultural expertise in one of the world’ s harshest climates— the deserts of the United Arab Emirates( UAE).

In a significant cross-border effort, Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group has formed a strategic partnership with Silal, a leading UAE agritech firm, to co-develop a 100,000-square-metre smart agriculture centre in the UAE.

The joint investment, valued at 120 million dirhams( approximately RM139 million or US $ 32.67 million), was reported by the Xinhua News Agency of China.

The project, aimed at revolutionising desert farming in the Gulf region, will incorporate stateof-the-art technologies such as

artificial intelligence, robotics, and climate control systems.

It is expected to support the growth of over ten types of crops, including tomatoes, melons, strawberries, and cucumbers- utilising precision agriculture to tackle the challenges of growing food in arid conditions.

“ Abu Dhabi, as a frontier for agricultural technology innovation, offers a visionary platform and a real-world test bed for deploying advanced systems in extreme climates,” said Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group Founder Yang Ming.

Customised greenhouse systems will be imported from Shouguang, specifically tailored for the UAE’ s environment. These will include solar-powered glasshouses, flexible film greenhouses, and large-span

structures designed to maximise energy efficiency.

The supporting infrastructure will encompass an AI research lab, water treatment units, cold chain logistics, and facilities for cultivating edible fungi— creating a full-scale agricultural value chain from planting to export.

Silal ' s CEO, Saleem al-Ameri, noted that the initiative would pave the way for regional innovation in sustainable agriculture, stating:“ The collaboration would serve as a model for agricultural innovation across the Persian Gulf, contributing to a scalable and sustainable framework for regional development.”

The project illustrates a wider trend by China to enhance its agricultural influence through the Belt

and Road Initiative.

In the first quarter of the year alone, China’ s exports of agricultural machinery to Belt and Road countries surged by 37.2 per cent, while exports of pesticide formulations increased by 15.5 per cent.

As digital farming becomes central to China’ s international strategy, companies such as Shandong Lisente Agricultural Technology, located in Shouguang, have established operations in 29 countries.

Agriculture Minister Han Jun also recently stated that China’ s agri-tech now ranks“ in the global first tier,” with an emphasis on developing frontier technologies such as gene editing, synthetic biology, and AI.- @ AGROBiz