Since the colonial era, health has been an integral part of labor control, as seen on palm oil plantations. Today, these agri-capitalist factories, operating in multinational contexts, continue to benefit from this mechanism of control, degrading workers’ bodies...
Beyond the Red Circle: Notes on a Palm Oil Plantation Union Meeting in Indonesia
In September last year, I attended a group discussion with workers organised by a branch of SERBUK (People’s Labour Union) at a palm oil plantation company in the Sambas Regency of West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. It was the first gathering of union members...
The Catastrophe that Flows Like Water: The Centrality of Water Issues for a Just Transition
The issue of heavily polluted water in palm oil plantation zones has severely affected local families and workers. Despite water issues appearing like a mundane problem, the communities near these plantations suffer from diseases caused by toxic rivers. According to...
Forest Stewardship Council to keep Korindo in the fold, for now
Palm oil giant Korindo must "commit to reparations for past [land] conversion practices" in Indonesia or else face expulsion from the Forest Stewardship Council, the certification body announced this week.The precise conditions for Korindo to retain its FSC membership...
Recent Post
Sambas Declaration for Just Transition in the Palm Oil Industry
Introduction On 28-29th November 2023, an international conference on “Just Transition in the Palm Oil Industry” was held in Sambas, West Kalimantan in Indonesia. The conference was attended by 140 participants, mainly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia,...
Sign-on Statement to Call for the Immediate Release and Drop the Trumped-up Charges Against Five Development Workers in Negros Occidental, Philippines
We, the undersigned, urgently call for public support for the immediate release of two development workers and the cancellation of trumped-up charges against them and three more development workers. Four of the falsely accused are affiliated with the Paghidaet sa...
Solidarity for Vincent Djiropo, Defender of Ancestral Land and Forests
Vincent Djiropo, a dedicated community leader, has been unjustly detained in San Pedro, in the Bas-Sassandra region of Ivory Coast, for standing up for the forest that sustains the local community. The informal alliance network across Africa demands that authorities...
THE MOUILA DECLARATION of the Informal Alliance against the Expansion of Industrial Monocultures
Gabon, November 2024 THE MOUILA DECLARATION of the Informal Alliance against the Expansion of Industrial Monocultures We, members of the Informal Alliance against the expansion of Industrial Monoculture Plantations, gathered at the 6th General Assembly, in...
LBH Kalbar Poster: “Modern Slavery and Systemic Abuses in West Kalimantan”
This poster, created by LBH Kalimantan Barat (West Kalimantan Legal Aid Institute), firmly supports the workers of PT Duta Palma Group whose rights have been violated. LBH Kalimantan Barat is actively collaborating with the Sambas-Bengkayang Workers Alliance...
TPOLS Release for Just Transition Conference #2 (2024): Unsustainable Palm Oil Business
In 2024, the TPOLS Secretariat gathered insights from our network members, revealing alarming trends in the palm oil industry. This summary highlights some of the most pressing issues, showcasing the destructive practices of palm oil companies that cannot be ignored....