Home › Regions › Theme: Land and food security › Region: Indonesia ›

Newsletter articles

DTE's quarterly newsletter provides information on ecological justice in Indonesia.

To get on the mailing list for e-updates with links to the latest articles or PDF file of the full newsletter, click in the green box on the homepage.

The Bahasa Indonesia list offers links to selected articles from each newsletter issue.

To get on our  mailing list for hard copies (£10 a year, English newsletter only) send a request to dte@gn.apc.org.

DTE publications

Ten years of AMAN

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

To mark the ten year anniversary of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago, DTE has translated a speech by AMAN's Secretary General on March 17th 2009.

Palm oil sector no longer 'the golden crop'

Down to Earth No.79, November 2008


Indonesian organisations have circulated the following information about the impact of the global credit crunch and falling palm oil prices on peasant farmers in the province Jambi, Sumatra. Translation from the Indonesian by DTE.


Since palm oil became 'the golden crop' around the year 2000, the European market for this commodity has grown year on year, not only to satisfy demand from the food and cosmetics industries, but also as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels.

Another year spent waiting

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

A year after we reported on Indonesian government plans to launch agrarian reform based on the Basic Agrarian Law 1960 (BAL), the regulation on how the reform will be implemented remains a draft. The non-action reflects the fate of the BAL itself. This law, championed mainly by peasants and nationalist groups, has been dormant since its birth.

Communities force Wilmar to address bad practices

Down to Earth No.76-77 May 2008

Communities in West Kalimantan, supported by national and international NGOs, have taken the unprecedented step of challenging the environmentally and socially damaging impacts of the world's largest palm oil company, using the World Bank Group's official complaints procedure.

Poverty and the price of rice

Down to Earth No. 76-77 May 2008

Concerns about food security worldwide are growing as rice prices have more than doubled in many countries over the last year and global rice stocks are the lowest for decades. Meanwhile the Indonesian government needs to consider how to increase rice production and to protect the food supplies of the poor.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization voiced concern when international rice prices rocketed to a 20-year high in late March with the global benchmark price at over US$500 per tonne.

Oil palm plantations? Carbon credits? Papua's forests targeted

Down to Earth No.75, November 2007


Large areas of Papua's rich and diverse forests are being targeted by Indonesian and overseas investors for conversion into oil palm plantations. At the same time, discussions are in progress to reserve large areas of Papua's forest to generate carbon credits for trade on international markets.

Aceh's golden crop?

Down to Earth No.75, November 2007


Aceh's new government is promoting the expansion of oil palm plantations in the province as 'in the interests of the people', but it is by no means clear that local communities will be the main beneficiaries.


A report by the independent research organisation Eye on Aceh examines the growth of oil palm plantations in Aceh and the social, environmental and economic costs of this agribusiness. The Golden Crop?