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.
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.
Already the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, Indonesia is promoting yet more palm oil plantations across almost all regions in the country. Palm oil plantations covered more than 8 million hectares in 2010.
The expansion is being driven by the Indonesian government’s push for export revenues and demand for the crop from the international food and cosmetics industries.
By Pang Yuriun, Coordinator of Aceh's Indigenous Peoples' Network (JKMA).
Accepting REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) schemes as a necessary means to combat global warming bears a series of consequences for all of us. First, measures undertaken under the REDD mechanism need to be an integral part of an overall strategy to combat illegal logging and reduce the rate of forest destruction and degradation.
gn [dot] apc [dot] org
