Knowing the historical background, the potential and characteristics of a nation will facilitate effective and efficient policy making for the nation. But if only imitate from other nations without considering historical background, its potential and its characteristic hence can be sure that policy will be taken also not effective and efficient. How often our nation imitate the economic progress of a nation, but do not pay attention to three important points above, so the result is also not optimal. Every country has its own character, so we can not follow the model of economic growth of other countries blindly. For example: we go along with the economic growth of industry and services, as developed countries do, while the agriculture and forestry sectors have become scramble of other countries. So are the mines and natural gas, while for petroleum we even a importing country.
The neighboring country, Singapore which is a small population and the land is small also, of course, an interesting economic source is the service sector. Similarly in developed countries, which in addition to having a lot of resources, once the needs of its population are met, then the source of growth must be pursued from other countries. So they use industrial and service sectors to pursue that growth. Then what about Indonesia?
Indonesia has a very large population, 260 million people with a vast and fertile land. Tropical climate and high rainfall 3 times the world average makes it very potential for biomass production, both for the food, energy or other sectors. If we examine and analyze how big the food and energy sector is for the 260 million people, we will know how big the economic value is. Then easily we can answer, why other countries busy scramble the agriculture and forestry sector in our country.
Please readers make their own calculations of how much food they need (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals) as well as energy or fuel (for households, industries, vehicles and power plants). Of course the value will be very large, hundreds of billions of dollars even thousands of billions of dollars. Not to mention how much food and energy fulfillment from other countries (import), such as how much rice we import, soybean import, meat import, petroleum import, wheat import and so on. What if the imported goods are substituted by our own fulfillment and the long term can be self-sufficient or sovereign in the food and energy sectors. While tens or even hundreds of millions of hectares of land is available, then labor is also abundant.
Will we join forces to catch up on the sector of economic growth in the industrial and service sectors, while our food and energy production is dependent on other countries? Of course not as the answer. Will it easily eliminate that dependency? The answer is also not easy. First we have to change the paradigm, that we can self-sufficient food (which is certainly not just carbohydrates only) and energy. Secondly, we must revive the agricultural and forestry sectors, to meet the food and energy sectors.
In the energy sector, these lands can be used for energy plantations that later wood harvested for wood pellet production. In addition, the area of the plantation can also be used for sheep grazing and leaves from the energy plantation is also a high nutritious feed for the sheep. Pastured sheep will spread the dung and urine as fertilizer for the energy plantation. With energy plantatins and sheep farming means in addition to being a solution to energy problems as well as solutions to food problems, especially protein. The lands that were initially barren became green again and provided economic and environmental benefits.
Back to the population of Indonesia as much as 260 million, of course the need for energy or fuel will also be very large as well. Formerly wood-fired stoves are widely used, currently only a small part of the countryside uses it because it has switched to using LPG fuel. Some time ago kerosene stove is also popularly used before LPG fuel. So technically basically is no problem using solid fuel, liquid fuel or gas fuel as long as the fuel is available, affordable prices and stoves are also available. When wood pellets are produced everywhere, the problem of fuel scarcity will be overcome. This is because the energy plantation and wood pellet production can be done anywhere, in contrast to natural gas whose source is only in certain places. Why not for wood pellet production? Extensive land, fertile, tropical climate, rainfall and abundant labor. Wood pellet production in addition to the region-based potential, can also be a model of new economic growth for the effective and efficient.
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