The impact of biodiesel policy on the availability of cooking oil: An analysis of sustainable food strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61511/jipagi.v2i2.1876Keywords:
biodiesel, energy policy, food security, palm oilAbstract
Background: Indonesia's biodiesel policy has developed rapidly as a government strategy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and enhance the domestic added value of palm oil commodities. A growing body of literature suggests that while biodiesel policies can support national energy security and economic growth, they also create potential risks for food security and environmental sustainability. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of Indonesia’s mandatory biodiesel policy on the availability of cooking oil, a staple food commodity, in the context of sustainable food strategies. Methods: This research employs a descriptive-qualitative approach using a systematic literature review. Data were collected from published studies, government documents, and statistical reports related to biodiesel policy, crude palm oil allocation, and the food supply chain in Indonesia. The analysis focuses on connecting empirical evidence with the four pillars of food security and principles of environmental and social sustainability. Findings: The findings indicate that increased allocation of crude palm oil (CPO) for biodiesel production, primarily incentivized by government subsidies, has decreased the supply available for domestic food consumption. This has led to cooking oil shortages and price surges across several regions in Indonesia. Furthermore, the expansion of oil palm plantations to satisfy biodiesel industry demands has contributed to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and social conflicts involving local communities. Conclusion: The principal conclusion from this study underscores the urgency for a holistic and integrative energy policy reformulation that balances the needs of energy independence, food security, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Novelty/Originality of this article: This article uniquely integrates the analysis of biodiesel policy impacts on food availability with overarching sustainable development frameworks in Indonesia. The study offers new insights by linking policy analysis with food security pillars and sustainability principles, and provides actionable recommendations for policy enhancements that have not been thoroughly explored in previous research.
References
Afriyanti, D., Kroeze, C., & Saad, A. (2016). Indonesia palm oil production without deforestation and peat conversion by 2050. Science of the Total Environment, 557–558, 562–570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.032
Afrizal, Putra, E. V., & Elida, L. (2024). Palm oil expansion, insecure land rights, and land-use conflict: A case of palm oil centre of Riau, Indonesia. Land Use Policy, 146(August), 107325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107325
BPS. (2024). Analisis Kinerja Perdagangan Komoditas Kelapa Sawit. Badan Pusat Statistik. https://satudata.pertanian.go.id/assets/docs/publikasi/1F_Analisis_Kinerja_Perdagangan_Kelapa_Sawit_2024_-_publish.pdf
Berenschot, W., Dhiaulhaq, A., Hospes, O., Afrizal, & Pranajaya, D. (2024). Corporate contentious politics: Palm oil companies and land conflicts in Indonesia. Politica Geography, 114(June), 103166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2024.103166
Bigerna, S., Bollino, C. A., & Polinori, P. (2022). Convergence of ecological footprint and sustainable policy options. Journal of Policy Modeling, 44(3), 564–577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpolmod.2022.07.001
Bukit, A. N., Hasanah, U., Na’im, K., & Elyani, E. (2022). Kenaikan harga minyak goreng dalam perspektif hukum persaingan usaha dan ekonomi. Jurnal Justisia: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, Perundang-Undangan Dan Pranata Sosial, 7(1), 61. https://doi.org/10.22373/justisia.v7i1.13212
Christina, B. (2025). Indonesia Expects To Reach Full Implementation Of B40 Biodiesel In March. reuters.com. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/indonesia-expects-reach-full-implementation-b40-biodiesel-march-2025-02-14/
Cramb, R., & McCarthy, J. F. (Eds.). (2016). The oil palm complex: smallholders, agribusiness and the state in Indonesia and Malaysia. NUS Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1xz0km
Dalheimer, B., Parikoglou, I., Brambach, F., Yanita, M., Kreft, H., & Brümmer, B. (2024). On the palm oil-biodiversity trade-off: Environmental performance of smallholder producers. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 125(March). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2024.102975
De Schutter, O. (2009). The Right to Food and the political economy of hunger. FAO Conference. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:211225672
ESDM. (2021). Biodiesel, Jejak Panjang Sebuah Perjuangan. Esdm.go.id. https://www.esdm.go.id/assets/media/content/content-buku-biodiesel-jejak-panjang-perjuangan-.pdf
ESDM (2024). Menteri ESDM: B40 Bisa Jalan Tahun Depan. Esdm.go.id. https://www.esdm.go.id/id/media-center/arsip-berita/menteri-esdm-b40-bisa-jalan-tahun-depan
FAO. (2014). Committee on World Food Security (CFS) global strategic framework for food security & nutrition (GSF). https://www.fao.org/3/mb060e/mb060e.pdf
Farizal, F., Amanda, T., Dachyar, M., & Noor, Z. Z. (2024). 2030 oil palm plantation carbon footprint estimation using O-LCA and forecasting. Journal of Cleaner Production, 463, 142646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.142646
GAPKI. (2024b). Ketum GAPKI: Konsumsi Sawit Indonesia Capai 25 Juta Ton, Terbesar Sedunia!. Gapki.id. https://gapki.id/news/2024/01/17/ketum-gapki-konsumsi-sawit-indonesia-capai-25-juta-ton-terbesar-sedunia/
GAPKI. (2024a). Kinerja Industri Minyak Sawit Tahun 2023 & Prospek Tahun 2024. Gapki.id. https://gapki.id/news/2024/02/27/kinerja-industri-minyak-sawit-tahun-2023-prospek-tahun-2024/#:~:text=Kinerja
GAPKI. (2024c). Sawit Jadi Tulang Punggung Ekonomi Indonesia! Begitu Kata Wamentan Sudaryono. Gapki.id. https://gapki.id/news/2024/11/07/sawit-jadi-tulang-punggung-ekonomi-indonesia-begitu-kata-wamentan-sudaryono/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Goh, C. S., Wicke, B., Verstegen, J., Faaij, A., & Junginger, M. (2016). Linking carbon stock change from land-use change to consumption of agricultural products: A review with Indonesian palm oil as a case study. Journal of Environmental Management, 184, 340–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.08.055
Mayandi, Z., & Suharjito. (2024). Palm oil-based biodiesel industry sustainability model using dynamic systems to balance food, energy, and export allocations. Smart Agricultural Technology, 7(February). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100421
Mukherjee, I., & Sovacool, B. K. (2014). Palm oil-based biofuels and sustainability in southeast Asia: A review of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 37, 1–12. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.05.001
Papilo, P., Marimin, M., Hambali, E., Machfud, M., Yani, M., Asrol, M., Evanila, E., Prasetya, H., & Mahmud, J. (2022). Palm oil-based bioenergy sustainability and policy in Indonesia and Malaysia: A systematic review and future agendas. Heliyon, 8(10), e10919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10919
Pinstrup-Andersen, P. (2009). Food security: definition and measurement. Food Security, 1(1), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-008-0002-y
Pratiwi, D. S., Arkusi, F., & Wardani, K. H. J. (2023). Analisis faktor – faktor yang menyebabkan kelangkaan minyak goreng Indonesia tahun 2022. Jurnal Economina, 2(12), 3688–3696. https://doi.org/10.55681/economina.v2i12.1061
Sahara, Dermawan, A., Amaliah, S., Irawan, T., & Dilla, S. (2022). Economic impacts of biodiesel policy in Indonesia: a computable general equilibrium approach. Journal of Economic Structures, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40008-022-00281-9
Searchinger, T., Heimlich, R., Houghton, R. A., Dong, F., Elobeid, A., Fabiosa, J., Tokgoz, S., Hayes, D., & Yu, T. H. (2008). Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from land-use change. Science, 319(5867), 1238–1240. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1151861
Serra, T., & Zilberman, D. (2013). Biofuel-related price transmission literature: A review. Energy Economics, 37, 141–151. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2013.02.014
Sorda, G., Banse, M., & Kemfert, C. (2010). An overview of biofuel policies across the world. Energy Policy, 38(11), 6977–6988. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.06.066
Tomei, J., & Helliwell, R. (2016). Food versus fuel? Going beyond biofuels. Land Use Policy, 56, 320–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.11.015
Varkkey, H., Tyson, A., & Choiruzzad, S. A. B. (2018). Palm oil intensification and expansion in Indonesia and Malaysia: Environmental and socio-political factors influencing policy. Forest Policy and Economics, 92(April), 148–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2018.05.002
Wirawan, S. S., Solikhah, M. D., Setiapraja, H., & Sugiyono, A. (2024). Biodiesel implementation in Indonesia: Experiences and future perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 189(September 2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113911
Xin, Y., Sun, L., & Hansen, M. C. (2022). Oil palm reconciliation in Indonesia: Balancing rising demand and environmental conservation towards 2050. Journal of Cleaner Production, 380(P2), 135087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135087
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mega Putri Arumdhani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
