Plantations
Indonesian palm oil billionaire gets 15 years for corruption
JAKARTA — A court in Indonesia has sentenced palm oil billionaire Surya Darmadi to 15 years in prison for his role in the biggest corruption case in the country’s history. The Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court ruled on Feb. 23 that Surya had conspired with the elected head of Indragiri Hulu district in Sumatra, Raja Thamsir Rachman, […]
Indonesia and Malaysia assail new EU ban on ‘dirty commodities’ trade
JAKARTA — The governments of Indonesia and Malaysia, two of the world’s largest palm oil producers, have intensified their criticisms against European Union trade policies, which they deem to be discriminatory toward palm oil. Indonesia’s and Malaysia’s outcry has sown doubts over the two countries’ commitments to combat deforestation, with palm oil being a contributor […]
Indonesia’s biofuel push must go beyond palm oil to reduce risk, experts say
JAKARTA — Indonesia must develop a new feedstock alternative to palm oil as the government intensifies an ambitious biofuel program meant to move away from diesel, observers say. From February this year, diesel sold at the pump must be a blend of 65% fossil diesel and 35% plant-based biodiesel, or B35. The currently available blend […]
Report calls on palm oil firms to make up for nearly 1m hectares of forest loss
JAKARTA — Commitments by palm oil producers in Southeast Asia not to deforest, clear peatlands, or use exploitative practices have helped the industry significantly reduce tropical forest loss. But many of these companies must still be held to account for their past deforestation, with a new report putting them on the hook for restoring an […]
With FSC rule change, deforesters once blocked from certification get a new shot
JAKARTA — Environmental activists have slammed a rule change by the Forest Stewardship Council that will allow some loggers who couldn’t qualify over the past 30 years to now be certified sustainable. Known as Motion 37, the rule moves a crucial cutoff date from 1994 to 2020: Under the long-standing rule, companies that had cleared […]
Sustainability pledges help Indonesia produce palm oil with less deforestation
JAKARTA — Sustainability commitments and greater scrutiny of supply chains is helping bring down deforestation rates associated with palm oil in Indonesia, a new analysis suggests. The country is the world’s top producer of the commodity, and although production is increasing while prices are rising — factors that usually drive a surge in forest clearing […]
Palm oil firms not acting fast enough on no-deforestation vows: Report
JAKARTA — Less than a quarter of companies producing or sourcing palm oil from Indonesia have forest-related policies in line with best practices, a new report says. The report, by CDP, a global nonprofit that promotes environmental reporting and risk management by companies and cities, analyzed data provided by 167 firms. While 86% of companies […]
Indonesia amnesties 75 companies operating illegally inside forest areas
JAKARTA — Indonesia has pardoned 75 companies operating illegally inside forest areas, with hundreds more to be amnestied in the future, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry announced during a parliamentary hearing in August. Under the 2013 law on the prevention and mitigation of forest degradation, activities like oil palm cultivation and mining are prohibited […]
Nearness to roads and palm oil mills a key factor in peatland clearing by smallholders
JAKARTA — Smallholder farmers in Sumatra who cultivate oil palms are more likely to expand their farms into carbon-rich peat forests the closer they are to roads and palm oil mills, a new study finds. The study by researchers from the University of Maryland in the U.S. and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore looked at […]
As dry season starts in Indonesia, risk of fires — and haze — looms
JAKARTA — A new analysis warns of the potential for forest fires in Indonesia that could spread smoke to neighboring countries as this year’s dry season sets in, following two years of haze-free skies across this part of Southeast Asia. In their “Haze Outlook 2022” report, researchers at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) […]