The public is becoming more interested in organic agricultural products because they are deemed to be more healthy and friendly to the environment, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of Indonesia stated.

Consumers have understood that the use of synthetic fertilizers and pest controllers leaves residue and destroys biodiversity, Head of BRIN's Agriculture and Food Research Organization (ORPP) Puji Lestari said.

"The demand for organic products continues to rise, along with increasing awareness from consumers. In Indonesia, several organic farms have already been accredited," she said, during a discussion on organic agricultural system.

Organic agricultural systems are oriented toward natural materials, without using synthetic or genetically altered chemical materials, she explained.

Organic agricultural cultivation techniques encourage farmers to improve production and incomes, with an orientation toward environmental sustainability.

"The goal of organic farming is how to make agricultural products, especially food, safe for health," Lestari said.

Organic agriculture was born due to the public's awareness about the environment, protest over the toxic materials residue on agricultural products and market opportunities, since organic farming is more expensive.

The three pillars of organic farming comprise economy (competitiveness and income), social (jobs and health) and environment (biodiversity and pollution).

Head of BRIN's Research and Plantation Center Dwinita Wikan Utami said that developing lifestyles are what made people start to transition to healthy and organic foods.

"Organic farming not only encompasses products, but also the process starting from cultivation, harvest, processing and post-harvest," she noted.

According to data from the Organic Trade Association (OTA) of Indonesia, consumption of organic products in the United States and Europe continues to rise.

In 2008, the sales for organic foods in the United States was recorded at US$24 billion in 2008, and increased to US$57 billion by 2021.

Meanwhile in Europe, the sales figure for organic foods stood at US$24 billion in 2008 and reached US$58 billion by 2021.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Organic Certification Institution (Inofice) recorded that the number of entrepreneurs with organic certificates has reached nearly 800, including in horticulture, plantation, fertilizer and pesticide.

"The development of organic in Indonesia is very high, especially because of President Joko Widodo's instruction to not have farmers depend on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides," BRIN researcher Agus Kardinan added.