Featured Projects
A glimpse about our projects
Impact assessment of ACIAR’s Aceh aquaculture rehabilitation projects
Indonesia (Aceh)
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has been investing substantially in fisheries R&D in Indonesia since the early 1990s, one of these was the Aceh Aquaculture Rehabilitation Project. The two key projects involved were focused on re-establishing coastal aquaculture as a key source of income and employment in Aceh and to meet an urgent need at the time in post tsunami Aceh to provide technical support to tambak (pond) redevelopment activities. ACIAR commissioned PT. Mitra Asia Lestari to carry out an impact assessment of the projects, which involved interviews and surveys, as well as the collection of production and socioeconomic data to ascertain the extent to which project outputs were adopted. Surveys and interviews were conducted across Indonesia with stakeholders involved in the projects, including farmers, researchers, extension workers, traders, government officials and project leaders and appointees.
To download the full report, please kindly visit:
Evaluating infrastructure investments and supply chain improvements using TraNSIT
Indonesia
In Indonesia, the National Medium-Term Development Plan 2015-2019 (Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, 2011) and the Maritime Highway (toll laut) strategy are seeking to strengthen maritime infrastructure and shipping lines to improve connectivity through improved infrastructure, targeting 24 strategic ports and 10 feeder ports to reduce logistics costs. Whereas previous research and development efforts and investments by governments and donors focused on improving productivity for small-scale producers to ensure adequate food supply, there has been far less effort to understand the implications of changing market dynamics on post-farm gate segments of the supply chain. Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Industry showed Indonesia’s logistics costs to be 23.6% of the country’s GDP in 2014, compared to 9.9% in the United States. In Australia, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) developed the Transport Network Strategic Investment Tool (TraNSIT) for the Australian agriculture industry to provide an evidence-based approach for identifying infrastructure investment and policy changes that reduce transport costs to Australian farmers through improving transport efficiency. Through the current project, the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is funding CSIRO and PT. Mitra Asia Lestari to apply TraNSIT to reduce transport and logistics costs to agriculture and other freight and inform infrastructure policy that promotes more efficient market chains in both Vietnam and Indonesia.
Improving smallholder beef supply and livelihoods through cattle-palm system integration in Indonesia
Indonesia (Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands)
The PalmCow project is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded (AUD$10 million) IndoBeef Program which aims to significantly improve both beef supply and the livelihoods of smallholders and other beef value chain participants in Indonesia. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari is the program leader for the project involving multiple research organisations, government, industry, and smallholder groups across three provinces of Indonesia. The objectives of PalmCow are to: i) identify constraints and opportunities for improving beef cattle productivity and profitability in association with palm systems; ii) develop strategies to address constraints to successful palm-cattle integration; iii) identify potential business models for improving smallholder beef cattle productivity and profitability in palm systems; and iv) provide a strategy for scaling out palm-cattle integration.
For further information, please kindly visit: www.indobeef.com
An Australian Government initiative through ACIAR and DFAT
Improving cattle production and smallholder livelihoods in crop-based farming systems in Indonesia
Indonesia (NTB and South Kalimantan)
The CropCow project is also part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded IndoBeef Program, with a focus on strengthening Indonesia’s beef sector and improving the livelihoods of smallholder cattle producers. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari is the program coordinator for the project involving research organisations, government, industry, and smallholder groups across two provinces of Indonesia. CropCow is focused on: i) improving the competitiveness of existing smallholder beef cattle market chains and exploring/developing new markets; ii) increasing the weaning and growth rates of cattle by smallholder farmers in mixed crop cattle systems; iii) identifying and evaluating approaches to improve adaptation, adoption and scaling out of proven production-based approaches; and iv) improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in mixed crop-livestock systems.
For further information please kindly visit: www.indobeef.com
An Australian Government initiative through ACIAR and DFAT
Indonesia and Halal Certification
Indonesia
Indonesia is an important market for any beef abattoir with a Halal program. The constant constraints and costs imposed by inefficient market access policies, however, may reach a “tipping point” where some processing facilities will decide that it is not worth the cost and effort of maintaining a Halal program thus reducing the ability of Australia to meet Indonesian demand. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari provided a report focused on understanding the potential impact on trade for the Australian red meat industry by the introduction of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 33, Year 2014 on Halal Product Assurance (the Halal Law). The project was focused on outlining the law’s key elements, reviewing other relevant laws and decrees, referring to available media on the matter and outlining discussions with senior officials of relevant departments, agencies, and organisations.
Support Services for Chain of Custody Audits
MRAG Americas, lnc. conducts Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Agriculture Stewardship Council (ASC) chain of custody audits to at least 150 companies per year. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari is aiding MRAG Americas, lnc. in the preparation of those audits by preparing audit documentation folders, including the accompanying audit plans and audit checklists.
Inclusive Agricultural Value Chain Financing
A project led by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), for which PT. Mitra Asia Lestari is playing a role as the in-country coordinator. The project aims to increase knowledge about how to design and implement innovative and inclusive agricultural value chain financing models in South East Asia.
Global Burden of Animal Disease Initiative: Indonesia Case Study
Led by the University of Liverpool and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and other donors, including the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the project aims to develop a global metrics system for animal disease, similar to the ‘Global Burden of Disease’ metric used to make decisions and co-ordinate global human health investments. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari is providing the role of in-country manager for a joint Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), University of Liverpool, Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture program to provide information leading to improved prioritisation of resource allocation for animal health in Indonesia that is centred on the needs of small holder farmers and addresses gender gaps in access to resources. The program is expected to have a positive impact on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For further information, please kindly visit: www.animalhealthmetrics.org
Vietnam Traceability Systems Review and Standards Development
Vietnam
Australian exporters sending live cattle to Vietnam must, in addition to meeting Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) requirements, demonstrate compliance with an industry/government 6-Point Plan (6PP). The 6PP is specific to the Vietnam market and sets out six additional ‘standards’ that must be met around access to facilities, traceability and reporting, equipment, standard operating procedures, human resources and CCTV monitoring. Following evidence of animal welfare issues and leakage outside of approved supply chains in the live trade to Vietnam in 2015, and with MRAG Asia Pacific as the lead, PT. Mitra Asia Lestari undertook a review of the traceability and control arrangements underpinning the Vietnamese live cattle trade. The aims of the review were to identify and recommend elements of a traceability system to ensure best practice and a high level of compliance in Vietnam, and to identify options for reducing duplication and improving cost effectiveness of traceability and control systems in use.
Australian Rural Leadership Program in Indonesia
The Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) has been developing leaders for rural and regional Australia for more than 20 years and has a network of over one thousand rural leaders. The flagship program of the ARLF, the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) consists of up to 50 days face-to-face activities, delivered in multiple sessions over a 15-month period. Five of these sessions takes place in locations across Australia, and one takes place overseas. The last five years the ARLF have brought their ARLP participants to Indonesia, where PT. Mitra Asia Lestari facilitated meetings, events, and activities, culminating in development of bilateral networks, and raising significant interest in Indonesia concerning leadership development in the country’s rural areas.
Indonesia-Australia Grains Partnership Program: A Rapid Review
The recent signing of the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) in conjunction with the Economic Cooperation Program (ECP, now Katalis) is one way to improve understanding, facilitate more significant trade, investment, and partnerships between Indonesia and Australia. Specifically for the grains sector which is vital to both countries. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari has provided a review to identify the development of an “Indonesia Australia Grains Partnership Platform” (IAGPP) to bring together Indonesian and Australian decision-makers, to foster relations and maximise opportunities for development and collaboration amongst the Indonesian and Australian grains, food processing and livestock sectors.
Research Assessment Framework (RAF): Agricultural Research and Innovation in Indonesia
The 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) in Indonesia has a priority of “Increasing availability, access and quality of food consumption.” To achieve this objective, it needs depends on strengthened agricultural research and innovation systems for agricultural research and innovation. BAPPENAS (the National Development Planning Agency) and Badan Litbang Pertanian (the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development) are leading the drive towards identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the research and innovation system. PT. Mitra Asia Lestari has been part of the assistance in the program to identify opportunities for strengthening Indonesia’s agricultural innovation system as one step towards enabling the transformation of the farming sector to support more profitable small-scale enterprises and food security for Indonesia’s growing population.