Indonesia has great natural wealth but many of its citizens live in extreme poverty. Democratic progress has been made since the resigation of former president Suharto in 1998, but many civil society organisations feel that far too little progress has been made towards sustainable management of the country's resources, and ensuring that Indonesia's diverse communities have a real say in decisions which affect their future.
The following report, by independent researcher Anna Bolin,[1] explores the global trends and influences at work behind agriculture mega-projects like MIFEE in Papua.
The following submissions were made in July and August 2011 in response to the urgent threats to human rights and livelihoods faced by indigenous peoples in the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project area.
Re: UK government action to address environmental and human rights impacts of agrofuels
I am writing on behalf of Down to Earth Indonesia, an NGO working with partners internationally to promote climate justice and sustainable livelihoods in Indonesia.
Oil palm development in Indonesia has led to conflict, human rights abuses and the theft of community land; it has sparked massive fires which devastate forests, contribute significantly to climate change and affect human health.
As a country rich in natural resources, Indonesia has many sources of renewable energy. According to government policy, these include geothermal energy, agrofuels, hydro, solar and wind energy, biomass, biogas, tidal energy and energy from differences in sea temperatures.
A new certification scheme – Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) – is being introduced in Indonesia this year. Announced in November last year by Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Suswono, the scheme is being seen as a rival to the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
gn [dot] apc [dot] org
