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Forest Destruction for Plantations
Commercial plantations are a major cause of forest destruction in Indonesia. While industrial timber and cash crop plantations have been promoted as a mechanism for conserving natural forests, in practice, millions of hectares of native rainforest have been cleared to make way for plantations. One of the main crops that natural forests are cleared for is oil palm. Oil palm acreage in Indonesia has increased by nearly 120% in the past eight years. Oil palm plantations in Indonesia are destructive for a number of reasons:
- Communities are evicted from their traditional lands by corrupt forestry authorities, and given to companies for the development of palm oil and other plantations. Human rights abuses and violent conflict are frequently associated with land theft.
- Plantation work in South East Asia often pays at below the minimum wage, is insecure, dangerous and involves unpaid work by workers’ relatives in order to meet production targets.
- Traditional social and community structures are eroded by the swift changes to income sources and levels that accompany industrial plantation work.
- Oil palm is associated with intense and widespread use of illegal chemicals, which cause health problems and pollute land and water systems.
- The illegal use of fire to clear already logged areas in preparation for plantations is widespread. This can lead to uncontrollable forest fires, such as the devastating fires that blanketed Indonesia and neighbouring countries in smog in 1997.
Although conversion of primary rainforest to palm oil plantations is officially discouraged by international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), industry figures show that nearly half (48 per cent) of South East Asian palm oil plantations are created on some kind of primary or secondary forest land.
WALHI is working with communities to increase their understanding of the impacts of large-scale plantations and helping them to improve their ability to oppose plantations. WALHI is also working with communities who have already been affected by plantations by promoting conflict resolution mechanisms. These can include facilitated and equal discussions between communities, government and plantation owners, which acknowledge community rights. This technique is already being applied in Muaro Jambi in Sumatera, and Sembuluh and Manismata in Kalimantan.
Case studies:
Read about the impacts of oil palm plantations in Kalimantan in these reports by WALHI and Down to Earth at :
http://dte.gn.apc.org/camp.htm#CDC
Read about the links between palm oil, European markets and social and ecological destruction in Indonesia in this report: Greasy Palms - palm oil, the environment, and big business
Forests are also being destroyed as more and more of them (even protected ones) are cleared for mining concessions. Read more about it in our Mining in Protected Areas campaign.
For more information, please contact:
Helvi Lystiani
Information and Communications (National Office)
Telepon kantor: +62-(0)21-791 93 363
Mobile:
Fax: +62-(0)21-794 1673 Created: 01 Jan 1970 | Updated: 15 Dec 2004
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