April event will focus on enhancing support for
smallholder farmers
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia
(14 April 2025) – The 2025 forum of the Forest,
Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue,
scheduled for 14–17 April at the Pulse Grande Hotel in
Putrajaya, Malaysia, marks the transition of the co-chair
role from Indonesia to Malaysia.
Its theme,
Enhancing Support for Smallholder Farmers,
builds on work already undertaken across the FACT Dialogue
and the 2024 Forum in Bali, and will be dedicated to
advancing a broad range of scalable best practices for
smallholder farmers across all thematic areas of
FACT.
The Dialogue was launched at the 26th annual UN
climate conference (COP26) in 2021 by the United
Kingdom—the conference’s president—and Indonesia; the
two governments became FACT’s first co-chairs.
The
28-country strong, government-to-government dialogue brings
together the largest producers and consumers of
internationally traded agricultural commodities (such as
palm oil, soya, cocoa, beef, and timber) to protect forests
and other ecosystems while promoting sustainable trade and
development and addressing the climate and biodiversity
crises.
UK Minister for Climate, Kerry
McCarthy, said: “Developing sustainable trade
should mean growth and opportunity for all those along the
supply chain, especially smallholder farmers who are key
drivers of change in the transition to a sustainable food
system. This year’s FACT Forum will put tackling the
challenges smallholders face at the heart of the
discussion.
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“I thank Indonesia for
co-chairing the FACT Dialogue and welcome Malaysia as our
new co-chair. Malaysia is making strides to demonstrate that
economic growth does not need to come at the expense of
forests or livelihoods.”
Airlangga
Hartarto, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic
Affairs, said: “The FACT Dialogue represents a
renewed commitment by the world’s largest producing and
consuming countries of internationally traded agricultural
commodities to collaborate in promoting sustainable
development and trade, while preserving our forests and
ecosystems.
“It underscores the ongoing
dedication to strengthening partnerships, fostering
innovation, and advancing policies that prioritize
smallholders’ empowerment. By integrating them into
sustainable supply chains, we are not only securing their
livelihoods but also strengthening the foundation of global
agriculture.
“As it is crucial to bring fresh
perspectives and energy to ensure the continuity of this
initiative, Indonesia is pleased to announce its transition
from the role of co-chair and proudly passes the honour on
to Malaysia.”
Johari Abdul Ghani,
Malaysia’s Minister of Plantation and
Commodities, said: “Malaysia is honoured to
co-chair the FACT Dialogue for 2025–2026 and is committed
to advancing the Roadmap for Action,” he said. “As a key
global commodity player, we recognize the need to balance
economic growth with environmental and social
responsibility. Our approach is built on Shared
Responsibility, Shared Prosperity, Towards
Sustainability.
“Malaysia will showcase our
robust sustainability framework and advocate for
international recognition of our national sustainability
standards such as MSPO (Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil),
MSNR (Malaysian Sustainable Natural Rubber), and MTCS
(Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme).”
As a
crucial milestone on the road to the upcoming UN climate
conference, COP30, the Forum will focus on unlocking access
to finance, strengthening land tenure security, and
integrating smallholder farmers into global markets. It
seeks to deepen collaboration between Dialogue partners and
develop actionable recommendations to ensure that
smallholder farmers remain central to the global shift
toward sustainable food
systems.
