The area of oil palm plantations in Indonesia, based on the data from the Ministry of Agriculture, increased from 14,9 million hectares in 2022 to 16,38 million hectares in 2023. Meanwhile, according to Sawit Watch, based on the given licenses the area of oil palm plantations in 2023 reaches 25,07 million hectares. The trend of oil palm plantations expansion occurred in eastern Indonesia, especially Sulawesi and Papua. In addition, the expansion can also be found on the coasts and small islands as well as the southern coasts of Java Island. The trend of oil palm development in West Java, for example, uses a conversion mechanism from non-palm oil to palm oil. This pattern occurs in state-owned palm oil companies. Besides global demand, one of the factors affecting palm oil expansion is the support from the government’s policies, one of which is related to the implementation of the mandatory Biodiesel program in Indonesia, namely the development of renewable and sustainable energy from palm oil, which in 2023 will now enter B35 phase.
In the national context, instead of complying with the Constitutional Court’s decision regarding the Job Creation Law, President Joko Widodo issued Government Regulation Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation. This Government Regulation replaces the Job Creation Law which has been declared conditionally unconstitutional. The Government Regulation was issued on the grounds of “investment urgency”.
Meanwhile, in the international context, the European Commission issues due diligence regulations called the EUDR on the supply of certain commodities and products in the EU market related to deforestation and forest degradation. This regulation requires all operators and traders in the European Union to conduct due diligence to ensure that all commodity products circulation in the region are guaranteed legal, comply with all applicable regulations, and do not cause or be associated with deforestation or forest degradation. This regulation is one of the entrances to encourage the strengthening and reform of forest product governance in Indonesia and encourage a sustainable palm oil industry supply chain. The implementation of this policy is a challenge for both parties.
In Europe, the campaign to reduce the use of fuels that increase CO2 such as biofuels has been quite successful in influencing the country’s leadership. However, so far there has not been enough information regarding the stance of the trade unions regarding the issue of biofuels. It is important to look at the biofuel issue from a labour perspective, where the palm oil industry in Indonesia absorbs more than 16.2 million palm oil workers to produce renewable bioenergy while agrochemicals are used on plantations that endanger workers and the environment. Undoubtedly, this condition is a serious consideration in the context of the anti-palm oil campaign.
In the last four years, Sawit Watch has been working on the Just Transition project in the palm oil industry. The project encourages workers and trade unions to be active on issues related to ecology, indigenous peoples, and agrarian conflicts. Furthermore, trade unions are encouraged to realize their ideas related to the socio-ecological transformation of the palm oil industry in strategies and practices. Of course, collaboration with environmental movements, agrarian movements, and landowner communities is needed to realize the idea of the socio-ecological transformation of the palm oil industry. Regarding the said ideas and collaboration efforts, Sawit Watch will hold an online discussion on “Sharing and Learning of the Labour Movement and the Environmental Movement”. The idea of this discussion is to reflect on the lessons learned and challenges faced in formulating the idea of transforming the palm oil industry and collaborating with the labour movement and environmental movements.
Speakers and Moderator:
Speakers:
- Aisha (Sawit Watch): “Building the Concept of Just Transition with Trade Unions”
- Salma (Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity): “Spreading in Silence: Hazardous Work Processes and Oil Palm Plantation Health Infrastructure”
- Uli Siagian (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia): “Implications of EUDR on Indonesia’s Palm Oil Industry”
- Hendrikus Adam (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia Kalimantan Barat): “Protection of community’s cultivation areas vs Challenges of Palm Oil Expansion: Story from West Kalimantan”
- Damar Panca Mulya (Konfederasi Persatuan Buruh Indonesia): “Labour’s Perspective on the Anti-Palm Oil Campaign and Biofuel Issues”
Moderator:
- Rizal Assalam (Transnational Palm Oil Labour Solidarity/TPOLS)
Time of Event:
📅 Thursday, 3rd of October 2024 at 2-4 PM GMT+7 Western Indonesia Time
🕒 14:00 – 16:00 Jakarta Time (UTC +7)
💬 English translation available.
🔗 Zoom Meeting