Biotech Updates

Indonesia Showcases Agricultural Biotechnology Innovations to Stakeholders

June 18, 2025

Photo Source: FAS Jakarta

On May 22, 2025, the US Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service Jakarta organized the Agricultural Biotechnology Showcase to highlight the latest innovations in agricultural biotechnology in Indonesia, in partnership with Indonesia's Biosafety Commission (KKH).

Indonesia is one of the 32 countries planting genetically modified crops globally. However, innovations pose challenges in costs and approvals. If such challenges are streamlined and improved to be more efficient, Indonesia will sustain its regional leadership in biotechnology research, development, and production.

“Now more than ever, Indonesia is focused on food security, improved agricultural production, and also, of course, nutrition,” said U.S. ChargĂ© d'affaires Heather Merritt in her opening remarks at the event. “There are many aspects to improving these areas, from creating more seamless inter- and intraregional trade, to modernizing agricultural equipment, to innovating new varieties of crops through the most advanced biotechnology,” she added.

Indonesian farmers are cultivating late blight-resistant potato (called by farmers as bio granola potato), which was developed by several U.S. universities, including Michigan State University (MSU)  and the Ministry of Agriculture, now known as the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). MSU professor, Dr. David Douches, explained that bio granola potato reduces the required amount of fungicide applications by over 50% and reported that MSU and BRIN are developing another variety that has the potential to further decrease fungicide applications by 90%.

The event was attended by government officials, university students, and other stakeholders.

Read more from USDA FAS Jakarta.


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