Jakarta – Amid global efforts to curb deforestation and the climate crisis, President Prabowo Subianto’s statement in favour of unlimited palm oil expansion without concerns over forest destruction has been sharply criticised by environmental and civil society activists.
Firdaus Cahyadi, founder of Indonesian Climate Justice Literacy, sees this move as a bad signal for natural resource management in Indonesia. “President Prabowo Subianto’s statement shows that his vision of development does not prioritise environmental sustainability,” said Firdaus on Friday, January 3.
In his speech at the final 2024 Development Planning Conference (Musrenbang), President Prabowo said that palm oil expansion was needed to increase state revenue and create jobs. “We must have the courage to expand oil palm land without fear of the often exaggerated deforestation issues. Palm oil is an important asset for our economic resilience,” Prabowo told the Musrenbang participants.
Data from the Consortium for Agrarian Reform (KPA) shows that agrarian conflicts related to palm oil expansion continue to increase. In 2023, there were at least 108 eruptions of agrarian conflicts in the plantation sector, of which plantations and the palm oil industry caused 88 cases.
Firdaus said the development model is oriented towards exploiting natural resources, which has the potential to damage the ecosystem massively. “This is a form of wrong thinking that sees nature only as a tool to fulfil economic interests, especially for political and economic elites,” he said.
Apart from ecological threats, Firdaus also highlighted social impacts that are no less serious. According to him, the expansion of oil palm land is often carried out at the expense of the rights of indigenous peoples and smallholders, triggering agrarian conflicts. “This extractive development model will increase human rights violations, expel local communities from their lands, and exacerbate poverty,” he said.
Firdaus warned that such a move would not only damage Indonesia’s reputation in the eyes of the world but also jeopardise future generations’ future. He called on the public not to remain silent on policies threatening the environment and social life. (Hartatik)
