MIFEE

Indonesia's Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project is clearing land and destroying the traditional livelihoods of indigenous Malind and other groups in southern Papua.

Launched in August 2010, MIFEE involves the conversion of a vast area of land, including forests and peatlands, into plantations growing food, energy and other crops. Workers are expected to be brought to Merauke to meet the demand for labour. [more]

Map of Merauke showing investors' concessions

DTE 91-92, May 2012

In our special edition newsletter on Papua published in November 2011, DTE drew attention to the long and sorry history of top-down resource exploitation in Papua. Now, a whole raft of new development plans are being pushed through, under the government’s nation-wide effort to speed up development (MP3EI), launched last year. An additional layer of plans specifically for Papua is being promoted by UP4B, a special unit to speed up development in Papua.

Press release - Tapol and Down to Earth

11 August 2010 - The death of a local journalist has increased concerns about a giant food estate, which according to reports is being officially launched today in Merauke, Southeastern Papua by Indonesia’s Minister and Vice Minister of Agriculture.

TAPOL and Down to Earth, the International Campaign for Ecological Justice in Indonesia are calling for a moratorium on the food project, known as MIFEE (Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate) until independent assessments of the political, economic, socio-cultural, environmental and gender impacts of the project have been undertaken.