MoMSME Facilitates Indonesian Exporters in Securing Key Deals and Partnerships with European Buyers

In preparation to the mission, SIPPO was able to support MoMSME in setting up pre-arranged meetings with nine high qualified buyers in Switzerland and the Netherlands. This mission marked a significant step for Indonesian exporters aiming to penetrate European markets, as these five companies gained strong interest from buyers. PT Cinquer Agro Nusantara secured an 80-ton white pepper contract with buyer from Netherland, while CV Manna Sejahtera attracted major importers for organic coconut sugar and syrup. PT Natural Joy impressed with its health-focused portfolio, including coconut aminos and turmeric-based mixes, drawing attention from buyers in Switzerland and the Netherlands, PT Dwi Sejahtera Nusantara attracted one of the biggest spices companies in the Netherlands, and PT Ganesha Abaditama gained a lot of insights on how to improve the sustainability practices in the company from buyer in Switzerland.

In general, the mission highlighted the advantages of direct buyer meetings and market orientation visits, which provided BSO and its exporters with insights into the whole concept of sustainability that required by European buyers, such as pricing strategy, what certifications are highly desired by buyers per specific product, retail trends and interestingly BSO and exporters can easily identify importers details on every product packing for future reference.

Some of the most inspiriting insights is how the European buyers – especially Swiss buyers – value the companies who are already advance with sustainability system. They value the companies beyond the products itself. Traceability and application of regenerative agroforestry agriculture are being two things most appreciated by the buyers in both countries, besides of having EU Organic certification. These things have been required by the market, and therefore it is important for Indonesian exporters to keep up with this matter. In addition, all the participants learned how to make sure a full circle of sustainability is being applied in the company, by knowing how the sustainability or CSR programs have contributed to a better-off wellbeing of the workers, farmers, and the community surroundings.

In addition, during this mission, MoMSME also learned that limited outreach to organic-certified suppliers and underdeveloped storytelling were among the things noted as areas for improvement. Overall, the mission showcased strong collaboration between SIPPO,  MoMSME, and SMESCO (business unit of MoMSME) and it shows promising results, while underscoring the need for strategic preparation to fully leverage European market opportunities.