BoycottPalmOil – The Free

Papua land is never empty,

it is a source of livelihood for many

As vociferously anti-colonial as Indonesia has been, it is nothing but colonial in its attitude toward Papua. Institutional racism, mistreatment of ethnic and religious minorities, media blackouts, internet shutdowns and policies that have long neglected the needs and interest of the local community have fueled a long-running insurgency that Jakarta has been unable to quell.

Papua’s ‘Empty Lands’: A Dangerous Myth Displacing Indigenous Peoples

In #WestPapua, on illegally colonised and disputed land taken by violence from Melanesian Indigenous peoples last century by Indonesian forces, authorities label indigenous lands as “empty”. This is done in order to justify large-scale agricultural projects, displacing tribes like the #Malind and Khimaima peoples. These lands are vital sources of food and medicine, supporting traditional ways of life for several millennia. Communities and indigenous rights advocates call for halting exploitative #palmoil and #mining projects and honouring #LandRights #HumanRights #IndigenousRights #BoycottPalmOil

#News: In #WestPapua, “empty lands” are NOT empty—they sustain countless #indigenous #Malind and #Khimaima people for millennia. Large-scale #palmoil projects destroy livelihoods. Support #HumanRights #IndigenousRights and #BoycottPalmOil https://wp.me/pcFhgU-a5N

Jakarta Post| 9 January 2025

by Franky Samperante

Representatives of Indigenous People from Merauke protested against the massive food estate project that affecting their territory in Jakarta, December 2024. Photo: Pusaka

The narrative of “empty land/unproductive forest” or “no forest/no trees” is often used by authorities to negate and delegitimize the existence of indigenous communities and the surrounding natural environment. Most recently, it was used by Hashim Djojohadikusumo, President Prabowo Subianto ’s younger brother, when addressing executives of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) in December.

This narrative is painful for the people of Merauke in Papua, a site of the government’s food estate project. It reflects an attempt to roll out the red carpet for private corporations to develop monoculture plantations and massive food and energy industrial complexes, often obliterating the interests of indigenous peoples and local residents in the process with the state’s backing.

Planned deforestation threatens Indigenous land, intact forest landscapes in West Papua… 05 June 2024 Benar News New report Licence to Clear – Greenpeace International shows systematic violations of permitting regulations as plantations were pushed into forest areas. Since 2000, forest estate land released for plantations in Papua Province has totalled almost a million hectares.

The status of national strategic project (PSN) was given unilaterally to these developments by former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2024. Yet, the idea of monetizing parts of Papua was first proposed in 2010, when president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono established the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, which later failed.

Living with the local people engenders empathy for their daily fear of state authority creating a situation in which they do not belong, yet are too afraid to be involved. It is a process of ecological expropriation and extirpation of the lives of both indigenous and local communities in and around forest areas. The end results are the expansion of extractive industries, the seizing of power and control over resources that reap profits for a handful of people and do nothing for the interests of farmers or indigenous Papuans.

Expropriation is an action by government to take over the assets of individuals or organizations, in part or in whole, with or without compensation. Extirpation, on the other hand, is a unilateral act to eliminate or destroy something completely.

Press release: Stop food estate plans in Papua 18 November 2024Benar News….. Ten civil society organizations (CSOs) members of Civil Society Coalition Against Food Estate in Papua strongly reject President Jokowi’s plan to develop a food estate with an area of 2,052,551 ha.

At the time of writing, the land of Merauke’s villagers has been pegged as a new colony. Thousands of hectares of land, both forests and lowland swamps are being destroyed and drained, and then replaced with new industrial commodities.

Indonesians have experienced many failures in implementing the idea of so-called food estates since the Soeharto era, but the Prabowo administration does not seem to have learned anything. What past attempts have left behind are abandoned land and forests controlled by corporations, as well as complex and unresolved land and social conflicts.

One can pose many questions about the real motives when the food estate narrative can no longer mask the ugly reality. Where do the logs harvested from forests go? Who oversees their transport? What is the status of land rights? How was the land seized? What is the purpose of having a bold military presence in Merauke, where local Papuan resistance has diminished over the past two decades at least?

We need to consider the following facts.

The land in Merauke regency for the food estate project spanning more than 2 million ha that Hashim referred to is not empty land. It is customary land that belongs to the Malind, Maklew, Yei and Khimaima indigenous tribes, which have neither been recognized nor received their tenure rights from the state. More than 40,000 indigenous people, or around 80 percent of Merauke’s indigenous population, will be affected by the food estate project.

These tribes rely on the forest as their main source of livelihood. They go into the forest every day to harvest sago as their main food staple, hunt animals and harvest vegetables, even to look for medicinal plants. Now they are not free to enter and leave the forest due to hunting prohibition markers and security patrols.

The involvement of indigenous peoples in the project is minimal, represented only by a few formal institutions and certain individuals. Local administrations, at both the provincial and district/city levels, cooperate in implementing the project that was decided by the national government and ignores the rights of indigenous peoples. Local opposition to the project continues through demonstrations in Merauke and Jakarta.

Revealed: Government officials say permits for mega-plantation in Papua were falsified… Indonesian government have alleged that permits underpinning a multi-billion dollar plantation project in Papua were falsified. The land is being opened up by investors whose identity is hidden behind anonymously owned companies, as part of a plan to develop an oil palm plantation almost twice the size of London in the remote region. …29/10/2020

The Pusaka Bentala Rakyat foundation reviewed the development of the Merauke food estate and observed that the establishment of rice fields, sugarcane plantations and bioethanol production facilities converts and uses large forest areas by ignoring provisions on environmental and technical requirements, including strategic environmental studies.

A study by the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) found that Indonesia could potentially double its emissions by simply running the mega food estate project in Merauke, undermining the country’s aim to achieve net-zero emissions. Meanwhile, Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) revealed that in the past year, forest damage in South Papua increased more than twofold to 190,000 ha, or almost three times the size of Jakarta.

Regardless of the local people’s opposition, the project continues to move forward. The deployment of five battalions comprising 3,455 military personnel in South Papua is an indication of how much the government wants the project to go ahead. The involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) has the potential to threaten and eliminate the right to life of the Papuan people and worsen human rights violations, violence and arbitrariness, violating the Constitution, laws and regulations.

Merauke is part of the Trans-Fly Savanna and Grasslands ecoregion, an area rich in endemic freshwater biota that is located on the south coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest seasonal wetland area on New Guinea. South Papua has various ecosystems, including seasonal forests, swamplands and marine conservation areas. the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) describes this landscape as “the natural gem of Asia-Pacific”.

Indonesia’s massive sugar-bioethanol project in South Papua causes locals to fear exploitation Indonesia is going ahead with a project to convert millions of acres in Papua into a gigantic sugarcane plantation to produce bioethanol. But Indigenous communities and environmentalists worry that the project in South Papua’s Merauke regency will lead to land grabs, ecological damage, and the destruction of traditional livelihoods.

Swamps and savannas dominate most of the plains of Merauke, which has a type of soil deemed less fertile for growing food crops.

Musamus University has studied the suitability of the land in Merauke for rice or agroclimate and found that no area fulfills the high suitability criteria. However, more than 50 percent of the region, primarily the western and southern parts of Merauke regency, meets the medium suitability criteria. This means that the region’s capacity for intensive food crop production is still in question.

The writer is the executive director of the Pusaka Bentala Rakyat foundation, an NGO focusing on environmental justice and indigenous people’s rights.

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READ HERE (free) on ISSUU 196 page report https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/publication/licence-to-clear/

WILD FURRIES- Five new species of Southeast Asian Soft-furred Hedgehogs DISCOVERED

Soft-furred hedgehogs or gymnures are small mammals that are members of the hedgehog family, but as their common name suggests they are furry rather than spiky.

by Palm Oil Detectives on 21th March 2025 via thefreeonline at https://wp.me/pIJl9-Glu

A recent study has identified five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs (also known as Lesser Gymnures) from #SoutheastAsia. The study used DNA analysis and physical characteristics to describe two entirely new species of soft-furred hedgehogs and to elevate three subspecies to the level of species.

These tiny tree-dwelling creatures are soft and furry with a mouse-like appearance, yet they are not rodents – they are hedgehogs.

Help them to survive the destruction of their natural home for #palmoil – make sure you #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!
Continue reading “WILD FURRIES- Five new species of Southeast Asian Soft-furred Hedgehogs DISCOVERED”

The Great Malaysian Timber and Palm Oil Swindle

An investigation by Malaysiakini, in collaboration with the Rainforest Investigations Network, has exposed the dire environmental and social impacts of one of Malaysia’s largest oil palm plantations in Pahang.

by PalmOilDetectives / Malaysiakini on 4th March 2025, via thefreeonline at https://wp.me/pIJl9-GbA

The joint investigation reveals alarming deforestation in Pahang, #Malaysia, caused by one of the country’s largest #palmoil plantations.

The plantation threatens endangered species like #tigers and pollutes local water supplies. It has been described as “the worst-managed oil palm plantation in Malaysia.”

Elephants Use ‘Names’ to Call One Another

Palm oil yields are low, while the #deforestation is chaotic, leaving the land barren and overrun with #elephants.

Land clearing by burning is prohibited in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, penalizing foreign companies for palm oil and timber deforestation has been hampered by cronyism and corruption.

The report highlights links between developers and political or royal ownership and rampant corruption and strongly pushes for more transparency, improved government oversight and regulatory enforcement. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Located near an environmentally protected area, the plantation’s operations have resulted in chaotic deforestation, disrupted water supplies, and threats to endangered wildlife, including tigers.

Developers often cite “wildlife conflict” to justify failures, shifting focus to logging valuable timber instead of sustainable plantation development.

Malaysiakini’s investigation also shed light on troubling links between plantation developers and political or royal interests, with 95% of the land developed by such entities.

In December, the investigative team revealed that prominent banks provided large loans to plantation developers despite repeated project failures, questioning the banks’ credibility and oversight practices.

The investigation calls on the Malaysian government to tighten plantation approval processes and enforce environmental protections to prevent further harm to biodiversity and local communities.

For detailed insights, read the full Malaysiakini report via GIJN.

Major Food Companies Sued Over Addictive Ultra-Processed Foods Targeting Children

by Palm Oil Detectives on 14th Jan 25 via thefreeonline at https://wp.me/pIJl9-FzY Telegram https://t.me/thefreeonline

. The suit alleges that these practices have led to serious childhood health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

A landmark lawsuit filed in Philadelphia names major food companies:

Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Post Holdings, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Mars, and ConAgra and accuses them of designing and marketing ultra-processed foods (UPFs) with addictive qualities, particularly targeting children.

The case and its repercussions echo sinister marketing tactics employed by Big Tobacco in decades past. In a similar way it is alleged, global food giants manipulate consumers with misleading health claims and aggressive marketing. A large body of research shows that cutting UPFs could save millions of lives, while palm oil’s role in deforestation and biodiversity loss compounds the crisis. It’s time to reject harmful foods and demand accountability. Choose wholefoods, protect wildlife, and fight for a healthier planet. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop.

In a groundbreaking legal action, some of the world’s largest food and beverage corporations are facing allegations of deliberately engineering ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to be addictive, with a specific focus on marketing these products to children. The lawsuit, filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, names companies including Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Post Holdings, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Mars, and ConAgra.

The 148-page complaint drawing unsettling parallels with insidious strategies employed by the tobacco industry, asserts that these companies have employed strategies reminiscent of those used by tobacco giants, utilising research on addiction to create hyper-palatable food products that are difficult to resist. This approach is alleged to have contributed to a rise in serious health conditions among children, notably Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease—ailments that were once rare in this age group.

The plaintiff, represented by the law firm Morgan & Morgan, contends that the defendants have prioritised profit over public health, leading to a public health crisis characterised by increased rates of chronic diseases linked to diet. The lawsuit seeks to hold these corporations accountable for their role in promoting and distributing products that may pose significant health risks to consumers, particularly vulnerable populations like children.

This case underscores the growing scrutiny of ultra-processed foods and their impact on health, especially among younger demographics. It raises critical questions about corporate responsibility, marketing ethics, and the need for greater transparency in the food industry.

The compliant alleges that these tactics originate from a time when tobacco giants acquired and operated major food brands, using the same addiction research once employed to hook smokers on cigarettes. This same research was subsequently applied to make ultra-processed foods tasty and irresistible to children.

PalmWatch: A Tool to Hold Palm Oil Greenwashers to Account! – Palm Oil Detectives

More than simply a tool, PalmWatch is a clarion call to consumers to look carefully at their purchases. And where possible, to boycott brands causing the ecological crisis of tropical deforestation.

from thefreeonline om 2nd Aug 2024 via PalmWatch: by Barbara Crane Navarro… (on Telegram: /t.me/thefreeonline)

PalmWatch: An Open-Source Tool That Empowers You To Hold Palm Oil Greenwashers To Account

A groundbreaking open-source tool by the University of Chicago called PalmWatch, shines a light on the darkest parts of the palm oil industry.

PalmWatch is a free web-based tool that reveals links between major multinational brands using supposedly “sustainable” palm oil, and palm oil supply chain.

This means that concerned consumers, animal rights advocates and human rights advocates can clearly see the toll of palm oil ecocide in their daily supermarket purchases.

Covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres, PalmWatch gives everyone open-source, free and unprecedented access to what “sustainable” palm oil really looks like..

Help animals and indigenous peoples and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife every time you shop!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ozKj16yU0zA%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

Pioneering #opensource tool #PalmWatch reveals dark and #corrupt corners of the #palmoil industry. Including so-called “sustainable” palm oil used by global #supermarket brands.

Uncover the #greenwash and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7lp

Game-changing free tool #PalmWatch helps you track #palmoil #deforestation and #humanrights abuses by “sustainable” RSPO members: @Nestle @CP_news @MDLZ @Unilever @Kelloggs_US. Uncover their #ecocide and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7lp

Posted byPalm Oil Detectives

Look Up Brands on PalmWatch

The media release below is provided by the University of Chicago and had the original title ‘PalmWatch, a new tool created by DSI’s 11th Hour Project team, sheds light on palm oil production across the globe’, published February 22nd, 2024. Read the original.

Media release:

PalmWatch, a new tool jointly created by DSI and Inclusive Development International, tracks deforestation by palm oil mills and connects that information to the palm oil sourcing of supermarket giants.

Palm oil is a required ingredient for a plethora of household products, from food items like packaged pastries and chips to cosmetics and soaps or even biofuels. But most palm oil is produced on mono-crop plantations, grown on huge tracts of land that were once tropical rainforests and other biodiverse ecosystems.