Potential of red edible oil as alternative energy: A study in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia

Innovation Development Red cooking oil as an alternative to ordinary cooking oil is considered to be a solution to overcome the problem of unstable cooking oil. The implementation policy carried out by the government in the plan to build a cooperative-based red cooking oil factory was found to have various challenges. The purpose of this research is to analyze the development policy of red cooking oil production in North Sumatra. The research method focuses on descriptive and in-depth data collection through literature analysis. The results show that red cooking oil is claimed to be healthier than palm cooking oil. The potential for red cooking oil production is very possible by looking at alternative energy to replace cooking oil. However, development priorities are highly dependent on policies that affect the contribution of cooking oil as an alternative energy. The Indonesian government’s efforts to place the province of North Sumatra as a pilot in developing policies to promote the production and use of red cooking oil involving cooperatives are expected as a form of local empowerment in improving community welfare.


Introduction
Red edible oil is red palm oil that is an alternative to regular cooking oil.Red palm oil is less refined than regular cooking oil, which means it contains more nutrients.Regular palm oil is bleached and goes through a refining process that removes some of its nutrients [1].Red palm oil is also known to contain more short-chain fatty acids compared to coconut oil and is typically around 39-50% oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid [2].Red edible oil can be used for frying and as a direct food ingredient [3], [4].The Indonesian government plans to distribute red cooking oil starting January 2023 [5].
The Indonesian government has been promoting the production and use of red cooking oil as an alternative to regular cooking oil [6].The government has also announced plans to build a cooperativebased red cooking oil factory to help optimize palm oil workers' production [7].The government's efforts to promote the production and use of red cooking oil are appreciated by the Indonesian workers Union (SPI) [8].It is hoped that with simpler technology used to produce red cooking oil, the availability of cooking oil can be fulfilled at a cheaper price [9].The government's encouragement to produce red cooking oil is part of the effort to improve the welfare of oil palm workers [10].
The Indonesian government encourages cooperative-based red cooking oil production as a healthier alternative to palm cooking oil [3].The Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (KemenKopUKM) of the Republic of Indonesia has coordinated with palm oil workers' cooperatives to accelerate the construction of red cooking oil factories and it is expected that by early 2023 red cooking oil products can already be present in the market [11].In addition, KemenKopUKM also provides strategic recommendations for the development of red cooking oil as a solution to overcome the problems and issues of cooking oil availability and prices that occur in Indonesia today [12].The government also said that red edible oil can be useful for preventing stunting and has a high nutrient/vitamin content, which is healthy and can be used as a solution to malnutrition/stunting and providing nutrition for the general public.
North Sumatra Province is one of the centers of oil palm plantations in Indonesia.Oil palm plantations have been established in North Sumatra since the Dutch colonial era.Currently, oil palm is the most important plantation commodity from North Sumatra [13].According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics for 2020, North Sumatra Province has an oil palm area of 434,360 ha and produced 1,682,290-ton Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) in 2018.This land area increased by 1.09% to 439,080 ha in 2019 with a production of 7,006,990-ton FFB or an increase of 316.5 [13].Smallholder oil palm plantations also play an important role in maintaining the global palm oil supply chain.On the one hand, smallholder oil palm farms have shortcomings, especially the use of limited cultivation techniques resulting in low yields [14].
Currently, many smallholder oil palm plantations in North Sumatra Province operate independently from other parties, leading to various problems such as the relatively small scale of the enterprise, limited access to finance and technology, procurement of production infrastructure, and FFB marketing.This condition complicates the development of smallholder oil palm farming, so cooperation between workers and other parties with an interest in oil palm plantations, such as commercial companies and state-owned enterprises, is needed [15].Cooperatives are the most practical cooperation model in business [16].For businesses, cooperative plans in marketing are proven to increase revenue, lower transaction costs, and achieve relatively more efficient marketing.Oil palm plantation partnership initiatives are implemented through company organizations in the form of cooperatives.Cooperatives serve to represent workers who are members of cooperatives that cooperate with businesses [17].
Cooperatives are founded on common interests to meet common needs, hence cooperatives play an important role as economic drivers where cooperatives can play their function as supporting institutions in agricultural operations [18].One of the roles of cooperatives is to pool the resources of North Sumatra workers to increase the bargaining power of workers through economic and social cooperation.Workers in developing countries often experience a weak bargaining position, so joining a cooperative can help workers strengthen their bargaining power [19].Thus, it is important to prioritize the development of red edible oil through strengthening oil palm workers' cooperatives in North Sumatra Province.

Method
The research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach.According to Sugiyono qualitative research is research used to examine the condition of natural objects and the data obtained tends to be qualitative data with qualitative data analysis techniques.Descriptive research methods are classified as a type of research based on the level of explanation [20].In this study, researchers focused on collecting descriptive and in-depth data through literature analysis.After the data is obtained and collected.Then do a reduction with qualitative descriptive analysis, which is an analysis technique in the form of describing or revealing the characteristics of the phenomenon that occurs.

Urgency of red edible oil production
The drive to create an alternative energy to ordinary cooking oil through red cooking oil is an important need.Moreover, red cooking oil, which is derived from crude palm oil (CPO) and has a bright color with a strong aroma, has several advantages.First, the production of red cooking oil is more efficient than ordinary cooking oil, so the price is cheaper [21].This advantage can be an alternative in overcoming the scarcity of cooking oil which makes the price expensive.Second, red cooking oil is claimed to be healthier than ordinary palm oil because it contains high vitamins.Third, it maintains the color of the oil with the bleaching stage.The red color contains carotenoids, nutritious substances that are healthy.Carotenoids belong to the antioxidant family that can protect humans from various disease risks and boost the immune system [22].In addition, red edible oil processed from palm oil contains a balanced composition of fatty acids and phytonutrients such as provitamin A, vitamin E, Squalene, Phytosterols, Ubiquinone, and Lycopene which are very beneficial for health, especially in preventing stunting.
Third, the potential for alternative energy innovation by reconfiguring and producing technology in the form of a red edible oil production process produces a healthier cooking oil option and overcomes problems such as stunting.Red cooking oil contains oleic acid and linoleic acid, which can help improve heart health, support brain development, and eye health.The innovation of palm oil-based materials by producing processed oil products can encourage the health of palm oil workers and improve economic levels [23].These three advantages make red oil alternative energy important to develop.

Implementation challenges of red edible oil development policy implementation
The implementation process of the red edible oil program in North Sumatra encourages the involvement of several stages and stakeholders.The involvement is not the government's desire to encourage North Sumatra to initiate a pilot project for a red edible oil factory.This condition requires supporting infrastructure such as the establishment of factories and other supporting facilities.Regulation and government involvement in the red edible oil plant in North Sumatra can be very important because alternative energy requires protection.Regulation through proper regulation and government involvement in red edible oil factories in North Sumatra is very important for business actors and improves the quality of results.
Efforts that encourage the production of red edible oil require assurance of the quality produced.The policy of entrusting the management of cooperatives as an effort shows the government's commitment to promoting the choice of cooking oil.Commitment to building a dignified North Sumatra, including in the economic field and efforts to prosper palm oil workers.The North Sumatra government appointed three palm oil cooperatives, namely the Unggul Sejahtera Palm Oil Producer Cooperative in Langkat, the Pujakesuma Deli Serdang Farmer Cooperative, and the Bukit Kijang Asahan worker's Producer Cooperative [22].With the collaboration model between the government and cooperatives, the quality of red oil production will be improved.
Collaboration between the government and cooperatives encourages the involvement of business actors to take an important role in producing quality red oil production.The process is a form of empowering local communities and promoting sustainable palm oil production.Community involvement will encourage awareness of maintaining production quality and encourage improved health.Efforts to empower local communities based on cooperatives will contribute to poverty alleviation by providing opportunities for income generation and economic growth and low selling prices can make it more accessible to low-income households.The challenge of implementing red oil production requires strengthening regulations, factory development infrastructure, production technology used, and guarantees for the protection of business actors.The process requires a shared commitment to bringing alternative energy and the use of red edible oil more popular in the future.

Red oil industry policy implementation strategy
The implementation analysis model according to Mazmanian and Sabatier [24], as experts suggests that an important element of policy implementation analysis is to identify variables that can affect the achievement of formal objectives throughout the implementation process.These variables include; whether the problem is easy to control, the ability of the policy to structure the implementation process, and the direct influence on various political variables on the balance of support for the goals set in the policy [23].
In this regard, it should be remembered that each stage will affect the other stages, for example, the level of willingness of the target group to heed or comply with the provisions contained in the policy decisions of the implementing agencies will affect the actual impact of these decisions [24].The target group, which in this case is the cooperative group, encourages the fulfillment of production standards set by government agencies.These standards include the quantity, distribution, and quality of production, which have a strong influence on development decisions.Plans about production targets to meet the needs of cooking oil substitutes depend heavily on policy implementation.There are four implementation strategies for the red cooking oil industry.First, accelerate production.This strategy shows commitment and seriousness in meeting market needs.Second, collaboration and stakeholder engagement strategies such as workers, cooperatives, and small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) encourage the formation of an industrial ecosystem and help ensure the success and sustainability of the industry.
Third, the importance of government support and policy formulation.The policy formulation process will encourage the prioritization of development.Appropriate policies will promote the use and production of red vegetable oils, provide funding, and create a favorable regulatory environment.Fourth, capacity building and skills promotion.Industry development encourages the readiness of business actors to respond to market needs.Training programs as a capacity-building effort for workers, cooperatives, and MSMEs can improve skills and knowledge in red oil production.The positive impact can maintain innovation that sustains the industry as a whole and meets production quality standards [25].The government's plan to build 100 red cooking oil factories has absorbed approximately 100 thousand hectares of worker's oil palm plantations.Government policy by targeting Indonesia's cooking oil needs of 1.6 million tons per hectare can meet 10% of national needs [26].

Conclusion
The implementation of the red cooking oil policy in Indonesia is still in the introduction and promotion stage.Red cooking oil is claimed to be healthier than palm cooking oil because it does not go through a cleaning process so as not to eliminate the content of vitamin A and improve brain health.The potential for red cooking oil production is very possible by looking at alternative energy to replace cooking oil.Development priorities are strongly influenced by policies that affect the contribution of cooking oil as an alternative energy.The Indonesian government's efforts to place the province of North Sumatra as a pilot in developing policies to promote the production and use of red cooking oil as an alternative to cooking oil involve cooperatives which are expected to be a form of local empowerment in improving community welfare.Red cooking oil production is limited to cooperatives only, as stated in the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) number 9098 of 2022.The policy presents a potential business opportunity for cooperatives and SMEs to develop and expand their business.The red cooking oil policy still needs to be further evaluated to determine its overall impact as a form of innovation production.