Boosting Agricultural Collaboration Through Strategic Partnership
Indonesia and Peru are significantly deepening their cooperation in the agricultural sector, focusing on key areas such as smart agriculture, human resource development, and expanding market access for high-value products. According to Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, this partnership is designed to be mutually beneficial, building upon a previously established Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural Cooperation. The new initiatives will facilitate joint development and capacity building in the agricultural sector, creating a strong framework for sustainable growth. The minister emphasized that this moment presents a prime opportunity for Indonesia to increase the export of its own top agricultural commodities, leveraging the stronger diplomatic and economic ties to reach new markets and foster a robust, reciprocal trade relationship.
A New Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
The enhanced cooperation was solidified during a state visit by Peruvian President Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra to Jakarta, which also marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the visit, a new Indonesia–Peru Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed. This agreement, which was negotiated in a remarkably short 14-month period, is expected to expand market access and invigorate bilateral trade, particularly in the food and agriculture sectors. President Prabowo Subianto noted that the partnership extends beyond agriculture to include strategic collaboration in food security, mining, energy transition, fisheries, and defense. The CEPA provides a forward-looking framework to not only boost economic exchange but also to foster cooperation on issues like combating illegal trade.
New Market Access for Superfoods and Trade Growth
The partnership has already yielded concrete results, most notably with the opening of the Indonesian market to new products. Peruvian President Boluarte, who highlighted agricultural and food cooperation as a strategic priority, officially announced that Peruvian blueberries would now be available to Indonesian consumers. She pointed out that this adds to the existing presence of other Peruvian superfoods, such as grapes and quinoa, which have already been popular in the Indonesian market. Boluarte also underscored the growing importance of the trade relationship, stating that Indonesia is now Peru’s sixth-largest trading partner in Asia, while Peru serves as the fourth-largest destination for Indonesian exports in the Latin American and Caribbean region, demonstrating a dynamic and expanding economic connection.
