Cooperative Activities in Indonesia on Science, Technology, and ...

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5. WORKSHOP ON SINGLE-CELL PROTEIN
Background
In early 1982, BOSTID was asked by officials of the Agency for the
Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) to assist them <strong>in</strong>
<strong>in</strong>troduc<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>in</strong>gle-cell prote<strong>in</strong> (SCP) production as part of their overall
plan for technological development, especially <strong>in</strong> transmigration
areas. This element <strong>in</strong> the plan calls for the use of cassava and other
root crops as the raw material for SCP production. The first part of
the assistance offered by BOSTID <strong>in</strong>volved an ad hoc meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Wash<strong>in</strong>gton,
D.C., of a small group of U.S. experts who met with three BPPT
staff members responsible for this project. After an <strong>in</strong>itial presentation
of objectives and plans for achiev<strong>in</strong>g them by the <strong>Indonesia</strong>n participants,
a discussion of the project ensued, with primary focus on
process design, plant design, and products and markets.
Follow<strong>in</strong>g the meet<strong>in</strong>g, arrangements were made for the <strong>Indonesia</strong>ns
to visit several private <strong>in</strong>dustrial laboratories <strong>in</strong> the United States
to discuss fermentation processes and the potential for the manufacture
of SCP <strong>in</strong> <strong>Indonesia</strong>.
Activity Summary
In late 1982, BOSTID was asked by BPPT officials to br<strong>in</strong>g a small team
of experts to <strong>Indonesia</strong> <strong>in</strong> early 1983 to jo<strong>in</strong> <strong>Indonesia</strong>n colleagues <strong>in</strong>
review<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>Indonesia</strong>n government's plans to establish a rural SCP
pilot plant <strong>in</strong> Tulang Bawang, Sumatra. The workshop was held
February 1-5, 1983, and <strong>in</strong>cluded U.S. and <strong>Indonesia</strong>n scientists, eng<strong>in</strong>eers,
economists, and adm<strong>in</strong>istrators.
The workshop schedule began with a day <strong>in</strong> Jakarta <strong>in</strong> which <strong>Indonesia</strong>n
participants described the background and objectives of the SCP
demonstration project, and BOSTID participants outl<strong>in</strong>ed briefly the
state of the art <strong>in</strong> SCP production and utilization <strong>in</strong> the United States.
Three days of field visits followed, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a l-day trip to Sulusuban
to see the Ethanol Biomass Energy Center, constructed with Japanese
assistance, and a visit to Kabupaten Bantul near Yogyakarta to see food
preparation and consumption practices utiliz<strong>in</strong>g cornmeal and cassava.
Key <strong>Indonesia</strong>n participants <strong>in</strong> the workshop jo<strong>in</strong>ed the field trips,
creat<strong>in</strong>g a valuable opportunity for <strong>in</strong>formal exchanges between the two
groups. The group had planned to visit the Tulang Bawang transmigration
area <strong>in</strong> the prov<strong>in</strong>ce of Lampung, southern Sumatra, the site of the
demonstration plant; however, because of flood<strong>in</strong>g the group was only
able to proceed as far as Sulusuban.
After the field trip, a half day of meet<strong>in</strong>gs was held <strong>in</strong> Jakarta.
Participants discussed recommendations on SCP production <strong>in</strong> four work<strong>in</strong>g
groups that focused on (1) the production process, (2) eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g,
(3) the use of SCP as animal feed, and (4) the use of SCP as human food.
A summary report of the workshop has been issued.