Jakarta. Indonesia and the US have agreed to work on sustainable agriculture as part of the key outcomes from President Prabowo Subianto’s recent talks with his American counterpart Joe Biden.

Biden had invited the newly elected Indonesian leader for a visit to the White House on Tuesday local time. According to a joint statement issued by the White House, Biden has agreed to help Prabowo in making sure that his people have access to safe and nutritious food at all times. However, Biden wants Indonesia to achieve food security in ways that do not compromise the environment, among others, by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI).

“The US government stands ready to assist the Indonesian government as it strives to improve food security through sustainable agriculture,” the joint statement reads.

“To advance these efforts, the leaders highlighted their commitment to promote research collaboration at the nexus of AI and sustainable farming practices, including through the 2nd Indonesia–US Digital Technology Dialogue on Agriculture.” 

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Biden promised Prabowo that Washington would support Indonesia’s food system resilience. The countries will work towards building sustainable management practices for Indonesian fisheries and aquaculture. The US also sought to help Indonesia effectively manage its marine protected areas, while still in line with the respective national laws.

The Prabowo-Biden meeting took place a year after Indonesia and the US agreed to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This status means that both countries had agreed to expand their cooperation on all issues of common concern. A White House fact sheet revealed that Biden sought to increase bilateral agricultural trade to implement the said comprehensive strategic partnership. The White House reported that agricultural trade totaled $7 billion in two-way annual trade in 2023.

Indonesian official figures showed that its bilateral trade with the US had amounted to $34.5 billion in 2023. Indonesia enjoyed a nearly $12 billion surplus when trading with the US that year.