The Jakarta Post, 28 June 2018
The ongoing diplomatic efforts by the Indonesian government to defend palm oil seemed to bear fruit after a recent court victory in France. The case began last November when a palm oil advertisement made by the Indonesia Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in Lyon, France, was reported to the French Advertising Ethics Commission, known locally as Jury de Deontologie Publicitaire (JDP). The ad’s content promoted Indonesia’s palm oil with statements in French saying the commodity was more sustainable and more environmentally friendly. Several people reported the ad, saying the statement was untrue and groundless. However, eight months later, the JDP concluded that the ad did not violate a regulation on the use of the term sustainable development after it studied supporting data from the Indonesian government. The commission acknowledged that Indonesia had seen an evolution in regulations and certification of palm oil production, leading to a more sustainable way of planting the commodity. Trade Ministry International Trade Director General Oke Nurwan said on Tuesday (June 26) that the JDP’s decision was a legal victory for Indonesia, pointing out that the commission did not reject the substance or the content of the ad.