Project Description
The Australia Awards Short Course on Improving Indonesia’s Capacity to Regulate Irradiation Treatment Providers for Horticultural Exports was led by Associate Professor Robin Roberts, Ben Reilly, Tash Voysey and Sean Cunningham. It was attended by 20 participants from Indonesian government agencies including Indonesian Quarantine Agency, Indonesian Quarantine Authority and the National Research and Innovation Agency.
The course supported Indonesia’s sustainable economic development goals under VISI Indonesia 2045, with a focus on enhancing international trade through improved regulation of phytosanitary irradiation for horticultural exports. Learning objectives covered core aspects of irradiation treatment, including pest control doses, irradiation sources (gamma, x-ray, e-beam), regulatory frameworks, facility auditing, equipment calibration, and quarantine inspections.
Participants explored how to integrate international standards into national systems and collaborated to strengthen regulatory capacity and stakeholder networks. The course acknowledged the technical nature of phytosanitary irradiation and highlighted the importance of input from DAFF and commercial irradiation facilities.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
The participant cohort is a highly skilled group of professionals from Indonesia’s plant quarantine, agriculture, nuclear regulation, and research sectors. Most serve as senior officers, analysts, researchers, or directors within the Indonesian Quarantine Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, BRIN, or BAPETEN. They bring expertise in plant protection, irradiation technology, dosimetry, pest risk management, export certification, and regulatory systems. Many have over a decade of experience working in quarantine services across major airports, seaports, and regional centres. Their academic backgrounds span entomology, plant protection, food technology, nuclear engineering, and radiation metrology, with several holding postgraduate qualifications from leading universities. A number of participants are directly engaged in national irradiation projects for key export commodities such as mango, dragon fruit, mangosteen, and salak.
Outcomes to Date
Since completing the program, participants have made strong progress in improving Indonesia’s phytosanitary irradiation systems and export readiness. Key achievements include enhanced post‑harvest handling and traceability in packing houses, and preparations to ready mango orchards for irradiation treatment. Participants have developed or refined regulatory tools such as SOPs for mango inspection, product security frameworks, and strengthened standards for irradiation covering sources, safety, dosimetry, and efficacy verification. Significant advances have also been made in designing a transparent national registration system for gamma, x‑ray, and electron‑beam facilities and improving radiation‑safety understanding. Additional outcomes include new supervision schemes for irradiation treatment, competency standards for supervisors, auditors, operators, and assessors, and the development of training syllabus.
Project Significance
This short course directly supports Indonesia’s sustainable development priorities by strengthening national capability to regulate phytosanitary irradiation for horticultural exports. Aligned with Indonesia Vision 2045 and IA‑CEPA, the program contributes to sustainable economic growth by enabling increased high‑value agricultural exports supported by safe, internationally compliant treatment systems. The course also aligns with core UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Supporting SDG 2: Zero Hunger, participants gained knowledge of irradiation doses, dosimetry, treatment verification, and facility auditing, improving Indonesia’s ability to prevent pest spread, protect crops, and meet export market standards. This contributes to safer food systems and greater resilience in horticultural supply chains.
In advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well‑Being, the course strengthened national capacity to manage biosecurity risks through improved calibration practices, risk‑mitigation skills, and inspection processes that safeguard human and environmental health.
Aligned with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, the program strengthens regulatory frameworks, enhances facility certification processes, and builds technical capability to support Indonesia’s goal of accelerating export growth through high‑value products.
The course contributes to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure by deepening understanding of gamma, x‑ray, and e‑beam technologies, international regulatory frameworks, and modern auditing practices essential for safe, efficient irradiation infrastructure.
Finally, consistent with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, collaboration with Australian institutions, DAFF, and commercial irradiation facilities fosters long‑term cooperation, shared learning, and enhanced regional trade capability.