Musdhalifah Machmud

Musdhalifah Machmud is the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Republic of Indonesia. Her coordination and strategic policy areas include rice, red meat, corn, soya bean, palm oil, cocoa, tea, rubber, sugarcane, biofuels, horticulture products, fertilizer, seeds, and more.

While serving as a government officer, Musdhalifah co-initiated the Indonesian Estate-Crop Fund for Palm Oil, a public-private partnership arrangement to support and promote sustainable palm oil, and small farmers’ empowerment. She is also a member of the board for that Fund, and sits on the Supervisory Board in Perum BULOG.

Musdhalifah served with the Ministry of Forestry in 1988-2003. She has extensive experiences with wetland ecosystems conservation, biodiversity conservation, budget program preparation and forestry planning, policy making and implementation. Musdhalifah is frequently invited to speak on food, plantation, biofuels and agriculture issues.

Musdhalifah holds a Doctor of Business Management degree at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), master degree from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, a postgraduate qualification from ITC Enschede in The Netherlands for evaluation and monitoring of environmental change, and a bachelor degree in Forest Management from IPB University in Bogor, Indonesia. Musdhalifah received the Republic of Indonesia’s highest medal of honour, the “Satya Lencana Karya Satya”, for her work, dedication and achievements in government.