Impor komoditas hortikultura telah semakin sering menjadi bahan pembahasan selama beberapa tahun belakangan. Kebiajkan terkait impor komoditas hortikultura juga semakin menjadi polemik. Tidak dapat dipungkiri bahwa komoditas hortikultura menjadi kebutuhan penting dalam masyarakat. Walaupun tergolong negara yang agraris, pada kenyataannya Indonesia masih harus tergantung pada impor sejumlah komoditas hortikutura. Salah satu yang paling banyak menarik perhatian adalah impor buah-buahan.

Jika melihat signifikansi buah-buahnya dalam pola konsumsi masyarakat indonesia tentunya tidak begitu besar mengingat sebagian besar penduduk indonesia masih tidak lazim mengkonsumsi buah-buahan. Akan tetapi hal ini tetunya juga menjadi ladang besar bagi para importir dan pengusaha dengan melihat jumlah penduduk indonesia yang sangat besar yang akan menjadi target pasar mereka. Dalam hal ini, sebagaimana pertarungan kepentingan dalam perumusan kebijakan terkait sektor pertanian, akan ada jurang pemisah yang besar antara kepentingan petani sebagai penghasil buah lokal dan pengusaha atau importir buah.

Analisa Global Value Chain merupakan alat analisis yang fokus pada dinamisasi hubungan antara aktor dalam proses produksi, terutama melihat pada bagaimana aktor perusahaan dan negara terintegrasi secara global  (Kaplinsky & Morris, 2000, hal. 2). Alat analisa ini dipilih untuk menjelaskan proses kemajuan industrialisasi Korea Selatan karena industri otomotif merupakan industri yang memiliki keterkaitan dengan banyak industri lain. GVC meletakkan fokus analisa ke berbagai actor baik dalam dan luar negeri sehingga peserta dapat memahami sejarah dan proses manufaktur dari Hyundai yang dikenal masyarakat menjadi satu rangkaian mobil seperti yang kita lihat di jalan di sekitar kita. Dengan Global Value Chain, kita dimungkinkan untuk mengamati bagaimana konsep Rent, Governance dan Upgrading tercermin di kebijakan-kebijakan pemerintah Korea Selatan. Rent terlihat jelas dalam financial aid, kebijakan berorientasi ekspor, pembatasan impor dan kontrol investasi asing.

Pasca Uruguay Round tahun 1995 terdapat perubahan signifikan GATT menjadi WTO. WTO dianggap sebagai lembaga internasional yang cukup mapan yang mempunyai aturan yang mengikat dan tidak lagi berbasis pada power dan interest. Salah satu implikasi konkrit dari perubahan tersebut adalah diadopsinya Dispute Settlement Mechanism. Mekanisme penyelesaian sengketa ini tidak lagi mengandalkan proses negosiasi akan tetapi lebih kepada pembentukan panel dalam menegakkan aturan. Hal ini tentunya mendapat sambutan positif terutama dari negara berkembang. Mekanisme penyelesaian sengketa ini akan membawa keuntungan bagi negara berkembang yang mayoritas tidak memiliki bargaining dan power yang kuat jika disandingkan dengan negara-negara maju dalam penyelesaian sengketa perdagangan internasional.

World Trade Organisation (WTO) sebagai lembaga dunia yang bertanggung jawab atas perdagangan internasional memiliki mekanisme pengelesaian sengketa (Dispute Settlement Mechanism) untuk membuat negara anggota patuh terhadap aturan-aturan yang telah ditetapkan. Masih banyaknya bentuk pelanggaran yang dilakukan oleh negara anggota memberikan urgensitas yang besar bagi Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) WTO. Terlebih lagi dengan melihat adanya perbedaan yang signifikan dalam kapabilitas ekonomi negara-negara yang juga semakin memperbesar potensi terjadinya sengketa perdagangan internasional.

WTO melalui TRIPs (Treaty Related Intelectual Property Rights) telah mengatur mengenai pemberian hak paten yang menjadi strandar internasional. Aturan ini tentunya berlaku bagi seluruh negara anggota WTO yang telah meratifikasi perjanjian TRIPs. Penetapan aturan paten internaisonal melalui TRIPs dilihat sebagai implikasi dari semakin berkembangnya teknologi. Manusia semakin mengembangkan teknologi yang memunculkan inovasi-inovasi baru. Untuk itu perlu diatur suatu mekanisme untuk melindungi dan memberi insentif bagi para inovator yang nantinya diharapkan dapat lebih mengembangkan dan memunculkan inovator-inovator baru.

Garam telah menjadi konsumsi masyarakat Indonesia sehari-hari. Garam dapur terutama, telah menjadi bahan makanan yang paling dibutuhkan di semua lapisan masyarakat. Akan tetapi tahukah kita bahwa Indonesia mengimpor garam dalam jumlah yang sangat besar. Inilah fakta yang terjadi. Produksi garam lokal pada kenyataannya tidak mampu untuk memenuhi kebutuhan garam domestik yang kemudian memaksa pemerintah untuk mengimpor garam dari negara lain.

Ironis tampaknya ketika Indonesia sebagai negara kepulauan dengan garis pantai terpanjang ke-4 di dunia tidak mampu untuk memenuhi kebutuhan garam dalam negerinya. Garam yang bersumber dari air laut masih mengalami kelangkaan pada waktu-waktu tertentu. Terlebih lagi kebutuhan garam masyarakat Indonesia terus meningkat setiap tahunnya.

The Strategy of Cambodian Government within Rice Production
by Arif Rahman Hakim

Southeast Asia region is famous for its abundant rice production. To be specific, there are some country in this region that becoming the largest rice producer, Thailand and Vietnam. Meanwhile, although some countries are also producers of rice, not the least of which still rely on imports as well, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Some reasons for these countries to import partly because of the rapid population growth and climate change which caused the uncertainty of rice production. Meanwhile in Cambodia, rice production is very large and the needs of other countries will be an opportunity Cambodian rice market. Nevertheless, these opportunities have not been able to put as a good opportunity by Cambodia because it is hampered by factors of price and quality to compete with Thailand and Vietnam. The price of rice in Cambodia is more expensive because of the traditional production process (cost of milling). Therefore, the farmers are exporting rice in the raw form into Thailand and Vietnam. Ironically, when these products arrive in those countries, which are then milled there with modern equipments, the result will be referred as Thailand’s or Vietnam’s rice. This is the reason that caused rice from Cambodia to be less desirable, because if you rely on the whole process of the country, the resulting quality is not comparable with the quality of processed Thailand and Vietnam. Plus, consumer has their own tastes include varieties, aroma, price and level of damage.
To overcome these problems, the Cambodian government has a solution which outlined in the rectangular strategy. The strategy is divided into three main areas, production, logistics and collecting. In the field of production, consist; promote the use of seed varieties and modern agricultural techniques; improve national irrigation; build and manage rural roads; Promoting agricultural credit; reduce the price of electricity to the village; support the establishment of farmer organizations; land use policy to promote sustainable agriculture. In collecting area there are; support for private sector participation in processing and export of rice; provide financial assistance; support and foster the business of milling; and building a bank for rural development; reduce electricity rates in rural. In the last area of rectangular strategy, there is a logistic which concern in Improve trade facilitation, reducing the illegal cost and reduces illegal check point; impose a single stop service for export activities; establish standardized Cambodian rice; improve port facilities and reduce storage costs.

Governments Role in Upgrading Cocoa Commodity in South Sulawesi
by Syaharuddin Idris

Cocoa productivity in Indonesia haven’t been said to reach the stable point. Some cacao producer’s region wasn’t capable to produce the good quality of cacao. Geographic factor is believed to affects the quality, thus, Indonesia tropical climate has degrading cacao quality in which compared with cacao from Africa. The lack of its quality has caused cacao and other products price in international market charged discount US$200/ton from market price. From that matter, the speakers consider it as a chance as it means the export market for Indonesia’s cacao still remain open while domestic market also hasn’t been worked. The location that produce big amount of cacao is in Sulawesi Island (70%), but unfortunately in this province there isn’t company that willing to be a big invest lead firm yet. In the farmers perspective, biggest adding value activities is limited to processed cacao, yet, it remains on in low scale number of producers. Industrial actors, whom have involved still homogenate, like farmers, collectors and exporters. Furthermore, the foreign trader are preferring exports in raw form, so the cacao hasn’t processed in modern way, as they never demand to do so. The cacao processing in South Sulawesi Province hasn’t developed rapidly in downstream industries, thus there is only two companies which running cacao industry. Therefore, the speakers proposed some solutions to urge cacao exports in reasonable price and maximizing domestic processing. For these purposes, the role of lead firm becomes important to add the bigger value for Indonesia’s businessman/ trader and strengthen the networking to designate the brand Indonesia’s cacao.

Added-value Chain Toward Indonesia Manufacture Industry: Case Study PT. MASPION
by Patria Nurhari

PT. MASPION is a biggest local manufacture company in Indonesia. The business that starts since 1962 was produce lampu teplok (torch lamp) with a limited amount every day. As it grows, MASPION were implemented many technology transfer and applied it within local resources. PT. Maspion could be one of the manufacture company pioneers that refuse the outsourced it workers from foreign country (especially from China which have been obviously offered the partnership to cut the workers budget). Added value process from each MASPION products based on six category; products, service, process, market, logistic, organizational) (Inovasi (Neely, 2001; Johannessen, 2002; Avermete, 2003; dalam Indarti, 2007). These categories then realized in 1980’s when MASPION tries to innovate the kitchenware product by adding new brand, MAXIM and PANDA. Furthermore, MASPION also reach electricity sector and building material, such as PVC pipe (plastic pipe work). In order to strengthen the image branding, MASPION utilize the ISO certification as a proof that MASPION has a high standard and ready to compete with other company. This kind of commitment was worth to try for any local company in Indonesia, as in the future, local consumers won’t choose foreign product which local can make. Strengthener local brand strategy was absolutely needed in order to grow new embryo in Indonesia manufacture producers.

The Internationalization of Indonesia Tourism Culture

The implementation of added value into local product in Indonesia has reached cultural sector. The speakers of weekly discussion took Reog Ponorogo, Batik Indonesia and Ikat as their case studies. First case study explains how Indonesian culture being internationalized, especially Reog Ponorogo. Reog Ponorogo generally known by local society for the dance and complexity of accessories. In order to broaden promotion on international level, the artisans start to add the sale value of Reog. For example, in 2010, one of the Reog art studios held a performance in Washington D.C, USA which attended not only by Indonesian citizen but also Americans. That performances becoming a multiple media to introduce Indonesian traditional dance yet features that used in Reog dance, such as, masks, etc. These features could be a promising business for Reog artisans. They are use the adding value from Reog Ponorogo’s labeling as a traditional dance and place it in the products for selling it as a souvenir. For example, dadak merak is one of the most expensive products. This main instrument of Reog dance is using the real peacock feather which shows the originality of its beauty. These chains having a role to add the selling value into culture and the actors in each chain need to be run effectively, especially in upgrading and product space.