North Sumatra plantations hiring children

N. Sumatra plantations hiring children: NGOs

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan | Fri, 11/25/2011 9:10 AM

A | A | A |

Many large-scale oil palm plantations in North Sumatra are employing child labor, according to several NGOs.

The NGOs — Pelita Sejahtera, Lentera Rakyat and Sawit Watch — issued a report that said 115,000 children were employed by the plantations.

The children, according to researcher Saurlin Siagian of Lentera Rakyat, accounted for 50 percent of the total number of people working on plantations in North Sumatra.

“The kids are mostly below 16 and have dropped out of school. Only a few of them are still going to school,” Siagian told journalists when presenting the report in Medan, North Sumatra, on Thursday.

Siagian said the children were mostly casual day laborers or as field helpers tasked with collecting oil palm fruit bunches.

The children were underpaid, Saigan said. Their wages depended on the amount of work they could finish in a day.

Children employed as casual laborers might make between Rp 300,000 (US$33) and Rp 500,000 every two weeks, while those employed as helpers earned from Rp 5,000 to Rp 10,000 a day.

“The wages they receive are not comparable to the risks of the work that they are doing in the field, especially because they are not equipped with protection equipment,” he said.

Quoting the Manpower Law and the principles of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Siagian said that the employment of child laborers on oil palm plantations violated the law and the RSPO principles.

Exploiting child laborers was subject to sanctions that might be given in the form of certificate revocations and expulsion from the RSPO.

“Ironically, such sanctions have never been imposed on oil palm companies that were found to have been employing child laborers,” he said.

Siagian also said that the NGOs wanted to establish a working group on labor issues to develop guidelines on a just labor system for oil palm plantations.

Contacted separately, the secretary of the North Sumatra branch of the Oil Palm Employers Association (GAPKI), Timbas Prasad Ginting, said children were not employed by local GAPKI planations, as the practice was illegal.

“We ban oil palm companies from employing child laborers. They will be sanctioned if they violate so,” Ginting told The Jakarta Post on Thursay.

Ginting, however, said that some smaller, individually owned plantations might employ children.

“Suppose it is true that the kids are employed by individual employers. It still needs to be further proven, because what happens may be is that the kids were brought along by their fathers, who are working for that particular individual employer,” Ginting said.

PTPN 2 Sewa 700 Preman Obrak-abrik Lahan Adat

Masyarakat menolak eksekusi tanah oleh pihak PTPN 2.Ist

 

PTPN 2 Sewa 700 Preman Obrak-abrik Lahan Adat

Medan-ORBIT:  PTPN 2 kembali berulah. Dengan menyewa preman diduga dalam pengaruh alkohol, lahan pangan milik masyarakat adat Kampung Batu Gajah Kabupaten Langkat, rata dengan tanah. Tindakan brutal itu dilapor ke Poldasu.

Ketua Umum Badan Perjuangan Rakyat Penunggu Indonesia (BPRPI) Sumut Haroen Nuh kepada Harian Orbit, Selasa (4/10), mengungkapkan kekhawatiran masyarakat adat tentang tindak pidana akhirnya terjadi.

Dikatakan, PTPN 2 diduga menyewa preman dalam pengaruh alkohol mengobrak-abrik lahan pangan milik masyarakat adat. Akibatnya, lahan karet, tanaman pangan dan pemukiman masyarakat adat hancur dan rata dengan tanah.

 

Preman Mabuk

“Petugas penggusuran yang diduga dalam pengaruh alkohol mengobrak-abrik lahan pangan itu. Petugas kepolisian hanya diam,” ungkap Haroen.

Disinggung mengenai adanya perlawanan, Haroen menandaskan jumlah masyarakat yang minim dan lokasi terpencil membuat masyarakat adat tak berdaya membela hak-haknya. Apalagi, jumlah petugas yang menggusur mencapai  700 orang lebih.

Menurut Haroen, tindakan brutal PTPN 2 itu dianggap telah mengangkangi beberapa instansi. Di antaranya Plt Gubsu Gatot Pujo Nugroho yang saat ini telah membentuk tim penyelesaian tanah.

“Pemprovsu telah membentuk tim peneyelesaian tanah. Tindakan brutal PTPN 2 itu jelas telah mengangkangi kebijakan Gatot yang saat ini sedang berupaya menyelesaikan masalah pertanahan tanpa ada konflik yang berkepanjangan,” ujar Haroen.

Begitu juga dengan keputusan Mahkamah Agung (MA). Dimana dalam hal lahan pangan itu, PTPN 2 pernah digugat masyarakat adat (BPRPI) ke MA. Dalam gugatan itu, MA memenangkan masyarakat.

 

Tuntut Penegak Hukum

“Dengan penggusuran itu, PTPN 2 juga telah mengangkangi putusan MA dan melanggar hukum. Kita mengecam tindakan itu,” tegas Haroen.

Untuk itu, BPRPI tengah dalam rumusan untuk segera melaporkan tindak kriminal itu ke Kepolisian Daerah Sumatera Utara (Poldasu). BPRPI Sumut juga tengah merancang strategi untuk melakukan aksi massa menuntut penegakan hukum.

BPRPI juga meminta kepada pemerintah pusat untuk tegas membubarkan PTPN 2. “PTPN2 tidak pernah menguntungkan negara, karyawan dan para pekerjanya. PTPN 2 hanya lumbung duit bagi petinggi PTPN 2 beserta kroni-kroni yang diduga sebagai mafia tanah,” tukasnya. Om-12.

http://harianorbit.com/?p=8287

Richard Pieris to invest US$ 80m palm oil plantation in Indonesia

Richard Pieris to invest US$ 80m palm oil plantation in Indonesia
Wednesday, 6 July 2011 - 10:23 PM SL Time


Diversified blue chip Richard Pieris and Company will shortly invest US$ 80 million on a 16,000 hectare palm oil plantation in Indonesia.

We are in the process of serious negotiations to take over 16,500 hectares of land in Indonesia, Richard Pieris Group Chairman Dr. Sena Yaddehige told Daily News Business.

He said the company was in an advanced stage of negotiations because the initial commitment to the land is around US$15 million and that he was trying to risk manage this investment which will be invested by the Group. The company will be getting effectively only 11,000 acres and the remainder will go in for land settlements, he said.

Richard Pieris has always been in plantations and palm oil has been an industry which we have always been passionate about. We have even over 2,500 hectares of palm oil plantations in Sri Lanka. We will add a further 1,000 hectares to this, he said.

We would like to increase it further but Sri Lanka does not have that volume of land.

He said that had the land been available in Sri Lanka, he would have opted to have the palm oil plantation expanded in Sri Lanka. I would love to do another 5000 hectares of palm oil in Sri Lanka. I have also been offered another 65,000 hectares of land for palm oil cultivation in another country, he said. He was tightlipped with the destination of investment.

I have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the 65,000 hectares but initial work will be the Indonesian operation, he said.

The principal aim of this palm oil plantation would be for export as palm oil is a unique dual use product. It can be converted into bio-diesel profitably with the price going upto US$80 per barrel and the market is extremely good with the number of mouths to be fed arising daily especially in India and China. After all this is the poor man`s ghee while it is also an important food product, he said.

It is going to be really hard work with a US$700 million investment for the 100,000 hectares plantation and it is bound to take around 10 years. But that investment does not have to go in full time cash for a start. The project will start generating funds for reinvestment for the third year onwards and we will be doing 100,000 hectares annually for ten years, he said.

He also said that his dream was to make Richard Pieris, a billion dollar company but that would be a long term vision over the next five to ten year period. We are at US$ 300 million now and the next target will be to make Richard Pieris a US$ 500 million group within the next two years, he said.

The targeted US $ 1 billion for the group will comprise US$ 500 million locally and the second US$ 500 million from overseas. I have an excellent team with me and I expect them to take the Group forward to reach these elusive targets, he said.

The New African Land Grab

by: Joan Baxter

Foreign investors, with the World Bank, are acquiring vast tracks of land in Africa - at the expense of local farmers.

The "town" chief of the village seemed to be in a state of shock.

Sitting on the front porch of his mud and thatch home in Pujehun District in southern Sierra Leone, he struggled to find words that could explain how he had signed away the land that sustained his family and his community.

He said he was coerced by his Paramount Chief, told that whether he agreed, or not, his land would still be taken and his small oil palm stand destroyed. He didn't know the name of the foreign investor nor did he know that it planned to lease up to 35,000 hectares of farmland in the area to establish massive oil palm and rubber plantations.

Haltingly, he said that without his land, he might as well take his leave of the village. By that he meant that he was as good as dead.

This is a ground-level view of a large land deal in Africa, where in recent years foreign investors have acquired tens of millions of hectares of farmland. In 2009 alone, the World Bank estimates that around the world foreign investors acquired about 56 million hectares of farmland - an area about the size of France - by long-term lease or by purchase. Farmland has become a favourite "new asset" class for private investors; "like gold, only better" according to Capital & Crisis.

The World Bank has its own term for the new global land rush. It calls it "agro-investment" and has developed seven voluntary principles to make the land deals "responsible".

Critics of the phenomenon - farmers' movements, human rights, civil society, women's and environmental organisations, and many scientists - call it "land grabbing". They say there is no way that the taking over vast areas of smallholder farmland and transforming it into giant industrial plantations and agribusiness operations can ever be "responsible".

They argue that land grabs are throwing millions of farming families and indigenous peoples off their land. They say that it's not just land that's being grabbed, but also precious water resources.

The investors are hedge funds, private equity funds (that are attracting even prestigious American universities with their promises of high returns), pension funds, banks, multinational corporations, and sovereign wealth funds seeking to sow capital and grow profits. They are also Middle Eastern and Asian nations anxious to secure their own future food security in the face of climate change, with dwindling water resources and arable land.

An estimated 70 per cent of the demand for farmland is in Africa, where land is cheap and traditional communal ownership makes people particularly vulnerable. Sometimes this can be done for the cost of a few gifts to traditional chiefs and grandiose promises of bringing "development".

Since 2009, in the wake of the food, fuel and financial crises of 2007-2008, the rush for farmland has only accelerated. But it's impossible to know just how much more of Africa's fertile land has now been taken by investors.

Corruption and profit

Recent in-depth research by the US-based Oakland Institute of land deals in seven African countries found that most of the land deals lack transparency, making it almost impossible to calculate their total area. Lack of transparency is a great enabler of corruption.

Yet "transparency, good governance, and a proper enabling environment" is one of the seven principles laid out by the World Bank for "responsible agro-investment". The Oakland Institute found that most of the land deals do not respect any of these principles.

This is ironic, to say the least.

More than any other institution or agency, the World Bank Group has been promoting direct foreign investment in Africa, and enabling the farmland rush. Its private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), with its Foreign Investment Advisory Service and its program to Remove Administrative Barriers to Investment, has been working - often behind the scenes - to ensure that African countries reform their land laws and fiscal regimes to make them attractive to foreign investors.

The World Bank Group has funded almost identical investment promotion agencies - "one-stop-shops" - in countries across the continent. It places people in strategic government ministries - even presidential offices - as private sector advisors.

The investment promotion agencies are developing and advertising a veritable smorgasbord of incentives not just to attract foreign investment in farmland but also to ensure maximum profits to investors. These include extremely generous tax holidays for 10 or even 30 years, zero per cent duty on imports, and easy access to very large tracts of land, sometimes over 100,000 hectares. Investors may pay just a couple of dollars per hectare per year for the land, and in Mali, sometimes no land rent at all.

The Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency, boasts about the extremely low labour rates and flexible labour laws in the country and about other privileges it accords investors - 100 per cent foreign ownership in all sectors, full repatriation of profits, dividends and royalties, no limits on expatriate employees.

Such giveaways cast doubt on claims by African governments, and others trying to defend the land deals, that this kind of "agricultural investment" will solve unemployment, generate revenue for cash-strapped governments, reduce the dependence on aid, and bring economic development.

In this race to the bottom, African governments are also encouraged by the World Bank Group to outdo each other when it comes to protecting investors. Each year, it grades African on investor protection in its "Doing Business" report cards, praising countries that move up in the rankings in what an IFC official admits is a "horse race".

This means that low-income and food-deficit African countries, some still struggling to rebuild after long conflicts, such as Sierra Leone and Liberia, find themselves competing with each other to offer foreign investors ever sweeter deals on their arable land, so desperately needed for local food production.

The investment promotion agencies quote figures for the vast amounts of "uncultivated" or under-utilised" land in their countries, often without offering any recent land use studies to back up these figures or a thought for the millions of people who depend on that land for their livelihoods.

Nor do they take into consideration the crucial importance of small family farms, which employ more than half the people and produce 80 per cent of the food on the continent. Smallholder farms tend to be extremely biodiverse, involving fallow periods to protect and restore soils and water resources.

Not in Africa to help

Conspicuously absent in the talk about the purported benefits of the land deals is serious discussion of protection of local people, human and environmental health, water resources, biodiversity, human rights, food security, and free prior informed consent of the affected communities.

As the Oakland Institute research shows, many of the land deals are for enormous plantations of palm oil and sugarcane for agrofuels, or for the production of cut flowers and a handful of staple crops - all for export.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has just released a "new paradigm" for agriculture, called "Save and Grow". Echoing other recent major studies, it finds that agro-ecological agriculture that emphasises conservation of soil and water resources and reduced use of agrochemicals can "enable low-income farm families in developing countries - some 2.5 billion people - to maximise yields and invest the savings in their health and education."

It states unequivocally that the industrial agricultural model of the Green Revolution, involving monocultures, high-yielding [commercial] crop varieties, heavy use of agrochemicals and mechanisation and irrigation, has "degraded fertile land and depleted groundwater, provoked pest upsurges, eroded biodiversity, and polluted air, soil and water."

And yet this unsustainable industrial agricultural model is the one being promoted by many African governments, donor agencies and foreign investors.

African farmers, left high and dry by their own governments during the decades of austerity programs imposed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, do need investment and support. They desperately need decent roads and access to local markets, processing equipment to add value to their own diverse farm produce, storage and drying facilities to prevent post-harvest losses, and basic amenities such as schools and health centres and water wells to improve rural lives, so that farming communities can thrive.

But foreign investors are not in business to provide any of these things. They are not in Africa to help impoverished African farmers improve their own farms, or to combat hunger. They are far more likely to destroy the family farm in Africa and aggravate hunger, all in the name of economies of scale, a global corporate food chain, and profits.

The same actors - the speculators, bankers, unregulated investors - who have had a hand in inflating food prices and bringing the global economy to its knees are now consolidating control of global food production and of land, to profit from the very crises they provoked.

It is beyond tragic that so many of them have set their sights on the new "asset class" of African farmland - which is the very asset on which hundreds of millions of Africans depend for their livelihoods and their survival.

Joan Baxter is a Senior Research Fellow with the Oakland Institute and author of its investigative reports on land deals in Sierra Leone and Mali. She is a journalist, award-winning author, and development researcher who has lived and worked in Africa for more than 25 years.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent Al Jazeera's editorial policy.
source:
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/06/201162884240129515.html

Senate passes palm oil labelling bill

June 26, 2011 7:07 PM EDT

The Senate has passed an amendment to the Food Act requiring that products containing palm oil be explicitly labelled, rather than described as 'vegetable oil'.

The bill was passed by Coalition votes, and driven by Greens senator Rachael Siewert and Independent senator Nick Xenophon, both of whom have been vocal in their campaigns on the subject of palm oil. Most of the world's supply of palm oil, an extremely common ingredient in foods and food additives, is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, where it is common practice to clearfell forest for plantations. Zoos Victoria reports that clearfelling results in the deaths of up to 50 orangutans per week.

The issue came to prominence last year, after a grisly ad from Greenpeace featured orangutan fingers in a Kit Kat wrapper. Senator Xenophon also emphasised the consumer health aspect of the labelling, saying that Australians consume 10kg of palm oil a year without knowing it, and that while other products labelled as 'vegetable oil' contain as little as 2% saturated fat, palm oil is 50% saturated fat. While the bill was rejected last week by a Senate committee, the alliance between the Opposition and the two senators was enough to pass the bill, which will likely pass in the House of Representatives if the Coalition-Greens alliance holds.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council decried the bill, saying the cost of changing a single label would be $10,000 to $19,000, and that food and grocery manufacturers were already under pressure from a 'perfect storm' of rising input costs.

"Food labels should be about ensuring consumers have important product information relating to health, nutrition and safety. From a health perspective, it's more important for consumers to know how much saturated fat is in a product rather than where the saturated fat is sourced," said a release from the AFGC.

Malaysia also expressed "grave concern", with the Malaysian Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok describing the bill as "discriminatory". Dompok said the bill seeks to encourage "the use of certified sustainable palm oil in order to promote the protection of wildlife habitat".

"In this context, Malaysia is of the view that labeling palm oil purely from the perspective of sustainable production is discriminatory," he told BERNAMA, the Malaysian National News Agency. "In addition, competing vegetable oils are not required to be labeled."

"It is clearly evident that facts and figures provided to the Senate Community Affairs Legislative Committee have been clearly ignored," Dompok said.

"It is with great regret and disappointment that the Australian Senate has not accorded the due attention contributed by the oil palm industry in Malaysia and the sustainable practices adopted."
source:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/169702/20110626/senate-passes-palm-oil-labelling-bill.htm

Do we have a plan B for energy?

(from the blogger:
this articles, as many other articles in this blog, not neccesarily represent the blogger point of view. as it purpose written at the blog title, this is also a storage for the relevant topics monitored from many media resources in internet.
thk, sp. siagian)


Are we dangerously dependent on Indonesia? Indonesia is India's top supplier of palm oil and coal - two forms of energy critical for our economic and individual growth. That is in itself not troublesome. But as Jakarta introduces new policies under pressure from environmental groups and local demand, can we ignore questions about future supply and its cost?

Take palm oil. Indonesia produces about 46% of global supply. Unpredictable weather keeps output volatile while new land is scarce. Last month, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono banned new plantations on 65 million hectares of peat land and primary forests. Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association says it would slow area expansion from an average of 350,000 hectares in the last four years to less than 200,000 hectares annually over the next two years.

It also triggers a tussle between Jakarta and regional governments which are allowed to explore and manage their own natural and land resources. Local governments have issued thousands of permits in mining and plantation business, the two sectors vital to increase revenues. As most allocations for palm oil plantations are in forests that cannot be used for farming, they could be revoked by this moratorium. Indonesian plantations are already under pressure from environmental groups for deforestation. Big corporate buyers such as Unilever and Nestle are demanding sustainability certification.

Currently, certified oil is a fraction of total sales but a mandatory scheme starts next year. Sustainable measures are expensive and plantations will pass on higher costs to consumers. That means people like us. At the same time, more and more palm oil is being produced by small and marginal farmers in no better condition than our own. By next year, 40% of whose yields are half that of plantations.

As their numbers grow, lower yields and inefficient scale will lift prices. More crucially, Indonesia's own demand for palm oil as food, biodiesel feedstock and industrial raw material is rising. It is world's fourth most populous nation and south-east Asia's largest economy. Affluent middle class accounts for approximately 70% of GDP. As in India, eventually the exportable surplus will dwindle, unless buoyed by faster increase in supply which is doubtful. Indonesia will never stop exporting palm oil because it fetches serious money.

A progressive export tax allows it to earn more revenue when palm oil prices rise. However, with imports expected to supply half the total consumption by 2020, India can't bank on Indonesia being always affordable or ample. Thermal coal burnt in power sta-tions faces similar risks. Indonesia is the world's and India's top supplier. Though only a fifth of our thermal coal consumption is imported today, volumes will spurt as electricity demand expands 56% in next six years. Indian companies are investing heavily in Indonesian mines for long-term supply. Yet, that is no guarantee. Already resource nationalism is raising its ugly head.
source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/do-we-have-a-plan-b-for-energy/articleshow/8919252.cms

Presidential order vs. forest conversion moratorium

Muhammad Teguh Surya, Jakarta | Mon, 06/20/2011 8:00 AM

Many questions entered my mind when the plan to impose a moratorium on forest conversions was delayed for five months, beginning in January 2011.

I optimistically thought at the time that the President and his staff were pondering appropriate measures to rescue the remaining natural forest in the country.

This hope completely evaporated when Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No.10/2011 on the postponement of new license issuance and the improvement of primary forest and peat land management was announced on May 20.

It turned out the delay was not due to any substantive reason regarding the rescue of Indonesia’s natural forests, but rather a maneuver to accommodate the interests of mining companies, oil palm estates, forest concessionaires and timber estates. In principle, the new instruction enables deforestation.

This is evident because the Inpres only governs the deferment of the issuance of new licenses and concerns only primary forests, which even without the regulation are subject to protection.

In other words, the President is allowing entrepreneurs to go on plundering forests that are not primary forests or peat land.

Additional studies have found primary forests and peat land can still be converted by the timber industry, mining operations and estates, owing to a stipulation regulating exceptions.

In a period of five months, the Forestry Ministry issued a number of preparatory permits so that when the Inpres was signed the relevant companies could enjoy liberties to continue deforestation.

What happened in Central Kalimantan as a pilot province for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) proves this.

The Forestry Ministry issued the following preparatory permits for mining, oil palm estates and other forestry companies: 1) Letters of approval for the use of forest zones from the Director General of Forest Planning to eight companies from June – December 2010 covering 107,083 hectares and one company in March 2011 covering 4,336 ha. 2) Letters of principle approval for loaned use of forest zones from the Forestry Ministry to three companies from June – December 2010 covering 2,204 ha and six companies from January – April 2011 covering 4,559 ha. 3) Decrees on loaned use of forest zones from the Forestry Ministry to two companies from June – October 2010 covering 2,011 ha.

The data indicates a very strong connection between the delayed moratorium and the Inpres, which is only focused on primary forests with the stipulation of exceptions. It should be stated that the Forestry Ministry plays a very good role in protecting corporate interests instead of Indonesian forests.

The formulation of the Inpres has cost taxpayers more than US$4 million, the largest budget for a policy drafting in the country’s 66-year history, despite its low quality.

Lamenting the policy is no use though. Therefore, it’s important for us to keep demanding the
speedy rescue of our forests, certainly by strictly implementing the moratorium on forest conversion for the sake of people’s welfare and security.

The moratorium should be implemented in the following ways. First, there will be no more new licenses issued to convert primary forests and peat land and a strategy to fulfill future timber demand will be drawn up.

The existing licenses are to be audited by independent third parties. Audit results are to be used
to annul questionable licenses, particularly those issued not in line with the law.

Second, the most endangered forests will be saved by registering forest areas through re-zoning and recalculating as well as estimating public timber needs at least for the next few years.

Movements to curb timber consumption in society should be encouraged, besides revitalizing the local community’s role in forest resources management and preparing the transfer of critical forest zones to local communities.

Third, social issues need solutions. Today, tree felling is only allowed on replanted forest estates or those that fall under community management, which are separately regulated and subjected to strict control.

Later, an incentive policy should be introduced for the development of downstream industries to produce valuable commodities as part of efforts to create jobs and generate added value.

The other aspect to be handed by the government in the moratorium process is the formulation of a policy concerning conflict resolution protocols as a future guide to the settlement of conflicts in the forestry sector.

In the course of the moratorium, the timber industry can continue operating by using raw materials from the existing timber estates or, if they are not yet sufficient, timber materials can be imported from other countries, because the use of materials from natural sources at home equally eliminates the benefit of the moratorium itself. To facilitate control, the types of wood imported should be different from those found in Indonesia.

The writer is head of the international relations and climate justice department at the Indonesian Environment Forum.
source:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/06/20/presidential-order-vs-forest-conversion-moratorium.html

EU told to 'show leadership' on food security

By Martin Banks - 30th March 2011
Britain's top scientific advisor has urged the EU to "show global leadership" in tackling food security issues.

However, speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, Sir John Beddington refused to be drawn in on the row over cloned meat.

Campaigners for new controls, including MEPs, were defeated after 12 hours of talks on Monday between member states and parliament failed to agree a law to regulate the cloned meat industry.

The failure to reach agreement has sparked bitter recriminations but Beddington declined to get involved, telling this website, "I do not want to comment on this."

Beddington, who reports directly to UK prime minister David Cameron, was in Brussels to launch the UK government's report on the 'the future of food and farming.'

The report predicts that, with the global population set to increase from seven to eight billion by 2030, the food system will face "unprecedented" pressure.

In a keynote speech at a breakfast briefing, he said the planned reform of the Common Agricultural Policy should "deliver a competitive agricultural sector."

In drafting future framework programmes, the EU, he insisted, should also give "more priority" to R&D in the food system.

He said, "The main message I want to get across today is that we have urgently got to address the issue of food security. In other words, how we are going to feed nine billion people in a sustainable and equitable way.

"This has got to include everything from energy and water to food security. Clearly, this is going to be a major challenge."

The 207-page report, which includes contributions from 400 leading experts from 35 countries, was launched at the British chamber of commerce to Belgium.

It urges the EU to show "global leadership on subsidy and trade reform issues and strengthen the EU's presence in regional and international food security".

Beddington, one of only two national chief scientific advisors in the EU, said that the report "makes clear" that the global food system up to 2050 will face "enormous challenges, as great as any it has confronted in the past."

He added, "It carries a stark warning for both current and future decision-makers on the consequences of inaction. Food production and the food system must assume a much higher priority in the political agendas across the world.

"To address the unprecedented challenges that lie ahead the food system needs to change more radically in the coming decades than ever before, including the industrial revolution."

Beddington told an audience of business leaders and EU policymakers there were "grounds for optimism".

"It is now possible to anticipate a time when global population numbers cease to rise and there's a growing consensus that global poverty is unacceptable."

Beddington later took part in a high-level seminar, organised by the European commission's joint research centre.

Meanwhile, the confederation of food and drink industries of the EU said it "regrets" the failure to reach an agreement on novel foods, including the sale of meat from cloned animals.

Its president Jesús Serafín Pérez, said, "The CIAA regrets the failure to reach an agreement on the novel foods regulation. It would have encouraged innovation in the food and drink industry, engendering greater consumer choice and facilitating market access for novel foods.

"This impacts on Europe's 500 million consumers and Europe's largest manufacturing sector, made up of 288,000 companies, 99.1 per cent of which are small and medium-sized enterprises."
source:
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/eu-told-to-show-leadership-on-food-security/

EU urged to press for more 'sustainable' production of palm oil

By Martin Banks - 14th June 2011
The EU has been urged to help shift production of palm oil in a more "sustainable direction".

Speaking on Tuesday at an event jointly organised by the Parliament Magazine, Imke Lübbeke, of the WWF, said that the environmental impact of oil palm had "not been exaggerated".

Lübbeke, the organisation's EU bio-energy policy officer, said there was "increasing evidence" that oil palm production was directly responsible for a 12 per cent reduction in the "number, variety and abundance" of wildlife in Malaysia, the world's second biggest producer of palm oil.

She added, "WWF is not against palm oil which is a very valuable vegetable oil.

"It has unique characteristics that suit it to processed foods and other consumer goods like detergents and soaps.

"We support palm oil as long as it produced sustainably."

The lunchtime roundtable, jointly organised with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, focused on the sustainability of palm oil production, currently a controversial issue among MEPs and policymakers.

It also heard from Danish Independent MEP Anna Rosbach that palm oil has been used in "many industries" for years and is a "healthy" oil.

She told the meeting, "This issue has two parallel sides: On the one hand we have the big international companies cutting down rainforests, draining and burning swamp forests and destroying biodiversity.

"On the other hand, we have all the beneficial sides of palm oil both for use in food, fuel and for its contribution to the economy."

Rosbach, an ECR member, said that Asian countries, such as Malaysia, should not be blamed for the "devastation" she said is often caused by palm oil production.

"If we look at Africa, we see that many European companies are behind the fast-growing plantations," she added.

"We should remember that many of the environmental concerns surrounding palm oil production are the same that we see with all kinds of large scale and intensive agricultural productions."

In a Q&A session, British Tory MEP and environment committee member Martin Callanan, who chaired the debate, asked whether deforestation was still taking place even though the Malaysian government had designated all its virgin rain forests as protected areas.

In reply, Nagendran Bala Sundra, a minister counsellor at the Malaysian EU embassy in Brussels, made a robust defence of his country's record when it comes to the environmental impact of palm oil production.

He said, "We recognised that our forests are not finite and a lot of effort has been invested into tackling this issue. This is something that has not always been recognised."

He also emphasised the importance of the palm oil industry to his country's economy.

He said the sector was "one of the most heavily regulated" industries in the world and that palm oil production contributes "significantly" to global food security.
source:
http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/eu-urged-to-press-for-more-sustainable-production-of-palm-oil/

Palm Oil demand to rise as an Bio-Diesel input

By Jithendra Antonio

Watawala Plantaitons PLC Chairman, G. Sathasivam is of the view that future Palm Oil prices would rise as Palm Oil will have higher demand as an input for bio-diesel production.

“Spurred on by the world’s intensified search for alternate sources of energy, the Malaysian government for instance has now renewed focus on developing its palm oil industry for the production of bio-diesel,” Sathasivam outlines in his latest annual financial review adding that building of new bio diesel plants is being encouraged in response to demand for bio diesel from European countries.

While the contributions from the oil palm business of Watawala Plantations Group has been commendable during the year, Sathasivam anticipates that strong demand for bio diesel is also expected from countries such as South Korea, India, Colombia and Turkey.

“As palm oil has the lowest cost of production amongst edible oils, it seems likely to

make up a significant portion of that market,” he says adding that Oil palm planted on anthropogenic grassland could supply this requirement in 2050, thus addressing some of the environmental concerns related to the destruction of forest land.

He further notes that it is encouraging the Ministry of Plantation Industries has proposed to expand Sri Lanka’s Oil Palm cultivated land extent from the current 5,000 hectares to 25,000 hectares. “A public-private partnership would be a vital element to ensure the success of this programme” Sathasivam notes in his review.

He further goes in to explain that any wage revisions during next year, would need to be linked to productivity and continuous unproductive wage revision could be detrimental to the Plantation Industry as a whole. “There is a serious need for all stakeholders to take part in this issue than isolating the Plantation Companies,’ Sathasivam stresses in his review.
source:
http://print.dailymirror.lk/business/127-local/47301.html

Indonesia forest moratorium breached on first day: group

By Michael Taylor

JAKARTA | Fri Jun 17, 2011 3:05am EDT

(Reuters) - Indonesia's freshly inked two-year forest moratorium was breached on its first day as a plantation company burned carbon-rich peatlands on Borneo island, an investigation by an environmental group said.

Indonesia revealed a long list of exemptions to its much-delayed two-year forest moratorium on logging that came into effect on May 20, in a concession to hard-lobbying plantation firms in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and its Indonesian partner Telapak said they had documented peat forest in Central Kalimantan province's moratorium zone being burned by Malaysian plantation group Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK) on May 20.

KLK officials were not immediately available for comment and company executives did not respond to queries emailed by Reuters.

The Forestry Ministry told Reuters it had not seen the environmental group's report but forest and peatland burning was against the law and should be investigated.

The environmental group also criticized Norway, which promised $1 billion for Indonesia if it implemented the moratorium, for investing in KLK.

"We should all be aware of countries such as Norway which are able to take a profit from deforestation," said the director of campaigns for Telapak, Hapsoro.

Indonesia is seen as a key player in the fight against climate change and is under intense international pressure to curb its rapid deforestation rate and destruction of carbon-rich peatlands.

Norway and Indonesia signed an agreement in May last year under which Jakarta promised to impose the moratorium. In return Norway vowed to pay $1 billion, based on Indonesia's performance in achieving long-term goals to slow deforestation.

Norway welcomed the plan by Indonesia to impose a two-year moratorium on logging in primary forests despite a five-month delay to the deal.

Siv Meisingseth, spokeswoman of the Norwegian central bank, which oversees Norway's holdings abroad, said it did not comment on individual investments by the fund.

In late March, green policy group Greenomics Indonesia also criticized Norway's sovereign wealth fund for investing in palm oil firm Golden Agri-Resources at the same time as funding Indonesian moves to cut deforestation.

Singapore-listed Golden Agri is the parent of Indonesia's PT Sinar Mas Agro Resources & Technology (SMART), which Greenpeace says has cleared high conservation value forests and carbon-rich peatlands.

Norway's $550 billion sovereign wealth fund will keep investing in Southeast Asian oil palm planters but may exclude firms that severely damage the environment, a Norwegian finance ministry official said after Greenomics' criticism.

(Reporting by Michael Taylor in JAKARTA, Niluksi Koswanage in KUALA LUMPUR and Alister Doyle in OSLO; Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Alex Richardson)
source:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/17/us-indonesia-environment-moratorium-idUSTRE75G0ZK20110617

Lessons Learned (on Palm Oil in Africa)

Lessons learned

By Emilie Filou | Published: 08 June, 2011

With unprecedented investment into the development of Africa’s palm oil industry, governments in the region are trying to avoid past environmental mistakes made in Asia

As far as commodities go, palm oil is a bit of a wonder product. Thanks to its long shelf life and high resistance to rancidity, it is used in the production of myriad goods, from margarine and biscuits, to shampoos and sweets. As a crop, palm oil is also something of a bonanza: its yields are 5-10 times higher than other oil crops; it does not require much pesticide; and it is 15 percent cheaper than other vegetable oils.

For the time being, 80 percent of palm oil production comes from just two countries – Indonesia and Malaysia. Southeast Asia has dominated the palm oil trade since the 1970s and 80s, when large-scale production in the region expanded exponentially.

Success for these countries has, however, come at a price. There are now around 10m hectares producing palm oil in Southeast Asia and a report from environmental NGO Friends of the Earth found that nearly half of these plantations had been created on primary or secondary forest land. In Malaysia, the report concluded that as much as 87 percent of the deforestation that had taken place between 1985 and 2000 could be attributed to palm oil expansion. In turn, deforestation is responsible for about 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions; intrinsically linking the palm oil industry to global warming. The conversion of forest land to monoculture plantations also has an enormous impact on biodiversity: 80-100 percent of mammals, reptiles and birds are lost in the process.

This legacy of detrimental social and environmental consequences of developing the industry sets an ominous precedent for Africa, a region that may be on the verge of a renaissance in its palm oil industry. According to a recent study by financial services group Nomura, Southeast Asia’s dominance of palm oil is set to recede, with cultivatable land in Indonesia and Malaysia expected to run out by 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Palm oil producers have therefore started looking for land elsewhere. Africa is a logical destination: as the palm’s homeland, its climate is ideally suited, has abundant land available for development and enjoys a closer geographical proximity to European markets than Asia. Companies such as Singapore based agribusiness, Olam, estimate that they could halve transportation costs and benefit from a 3-4 percent duty advantage compared to imports from Asia.

Olam is one of a growing number of firms that have secured large-scale concessions on the continent. The speed at which these concessions have been granted has raised concerns about the potential impact of palm oil in Africa, despite widespread commitments to implementing sustainable practices as recommended by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, an international alliance of palm oil stakeholders promoting sustainable practices. One of its key principles is the prohibition to convert primary forest or high conservation value areas into plantations.

Yet few countries in Africa have gone through land use planning and have extensive information on what exactly is on their land. “In most countries, the government doesn’t have the information it needs to give out concessions,” says Puvan Jegeraj Selvanathan, executive board member of the RSPO and chief sustainability officer of Sime Darby. “They’re literally drawing lines on a map.”
source:
http://www.thisisafricaonline.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/308/Lessons_learned.html

The Lords of the Ring, The richest by Plantations

Joe Cochrane & SK Zainuddin | May 31, 2011
Fortune has favored Indonesia’s business barons and captains of industry these past 12 months. Rising commodity prices, strong consumer demand and a raging stock market have combined to push the net worth of the GlobeAsia 150 Richest to new record levels. And after three years, we also have a new number 1.

Coal, palm oil, property, consumer goods. Indonesia’s rich natural resources and fast-growing consumer market have been the backbone for one of the sharpest spikes in the net worth of the super-rich since we started compiling the GlobeAsia 150 Richest Indonesians list in 2007.

In the past year, record high global commodity prices have translated into record earnings for those tycoons who have coal mines and vast palm oil plantations. In fact, just about any businessman of stature these days is eyeing a coal mine if he does not have one already, or is looking to expand production. It is no surprise that of the 21 billionaires on this year’s list, nine have build their fortunes through ownership of coal mines.

Two of the new entrants to this year’s list, Samin Tan, who owns Borneo Lumbung Energy and Metal, and Agus Lasmono, majority shareholder of Indika Energy, both rose to fame and fortune by acquiring coal mines.

This year’s new number one, Eka Tjipta Widjaya, the patriarch of the Sinar Mas group, knocked Budi Hartono of the Djarum Group off his perch primarily because of the group’s massive expansion in palm oil. We estimate that Sinar Mas has over one million hectares of palm oil

Money does grow on trees

Fauzi Ichsan, senior economist for Standard Chartered in Jakarta, says “it’s a very simple ex- planation” why Indonesia’s rich are getting richer.

“Commodities and asset inflation,” he says. “In the last 18 months, commodity prices have more than doubled. Oil has gone from $35 a bar- rel in March 2009 – today it is $100 a barrel.
“The rise in oil prices also pushed up the pric- es of other commodities prices, especially energy commodities like gas, coal and palm oil. On top of that, we’ve seen a big equity market rally over the last 18 months,” he says.

“Basically the gap between the rich and poor is widening because of asset and commodity inflation. Even if you are a farmer and own your own rice field, you’re OK because food prices have gone up and the price of your land has gone up. We’re not talking about new jobs or inventing new stuff in Indonesia. This is not new.”

Indeed, Indonesia has for a while been among the world’s top producers and exporters of numer- ous commodities, including coal and palm oil. And globally, the past 12 months has seen more of the same.

“Indonesia’s wealth is directly tied into com- modities and the rise in commodity prices in the past year, driven by money printing and growing demand from emerging markets, particularly China and India, has seen a material improve- ment in Indonesia’s overall wealth,” said Nick Cashmore, head of securities at broker CLSA Indonesia.

“Wealth has expanded because those owning assets have seen their net worth expand as asset prices have risen. It’s a simple story,” he says. “Deals have been done, work expended but at the end of the day global loose monetary prices continue to drive asset prices higher and thereby increase the wealth of the owners of those assets.

“The numbers are staggering: the share prices of coal miners PT Banyan Resources, PT Bumi Resources, and PT Adaro Indonesia increased by 179.3 percent, 69 percent, and 10 percent, respec- tively, between May 2010 and April 2011, making them among the JCI’s top 15 performing stocks during that period.”

But nothing is etched in stone – or coal for that matter. “Just as the tide has risen, were com- modities prices to again fall, so Indonesia’s tide would subside,” Cashmore reflects. “The country remains beholden to directional movements in commodity prices. Coal mining is the latest fash- ionable investment trend and every aspirational taipan must have a coal strategy.”

Consumer is king

Of course, there is more to life than coal and palm oil. Indonesia’s economic upswing has been followed by growing consumer spending, as millions more Indonesians have more money in their pockets and are joining the growing ranks of the middle class.

“The commodities story is slightly less com- pelling than the consumption story,” says Tai Hui, Southeast Asia head of research for Standard Chartered Global Research in Singapore.

Indonesia’s economy grew at an impressive 6.5% in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period in the previous year on the back of consumer spending and investment.

“I would say that (retail and consumer goods players) made good money,” says Erwan Teguh Teh, head of research at CIMB in Jakarta.

The retail sales index is up quite substantially, and if we look at some of the deals done over the last 12 months, the valuations are lucrative. Matahari and Alfa Mart, for example.

“And they are reinvesting. If you follow some of the listed retailers, they are expanding. Most of them are expanding by 10% to 15% new space every year. That’s a lot. Depending on inflation, they could grow 15% to 20% each year overall.”

Among the top retail and consumer goods players are Anthoni Salim, ranked number 3, Peter Sondakh, ranked 9th; William Katuari, ranked 13th; Mochtar Riady, ranked 17th; and Chairul Tanjung, number 23; and Sjamsul Nursalim, number 29. Another sector in the portfolios of Indonesia’s richest is property – and with good reason.

The performance of listed property companies on the JCI improved by 2.6% between June 2010 and May 2011. The country’s second-largest prop- erty firm, PT Bakrieland Development, controlled by the family of Aburizal Bak- rie, who is ranked 5, announced in May that it expects its 2011 net profits to rise by 30%.

However, while share prices and demand are both going up, that doesn’t necessarily mean the same applies to property values. “I don’t think the value is going up significantly,” states Edwin Sinaga, president director of brokerage firm Financorporindo Nusa. “I think it’s about 10% to 20%.”

What will be the hot new sectors for 2012 and beyond? Hui of Standard Char- tered says that sectors linked to consumer demand are a sure bet, in particular tele- communications.

“The way the income level in Indone- sia is now ... we are moving away from the bare necessities of life to something more interesting. So you will see a rapid growth in telecommunications; we’re moving away from motorbikes to cars. That change in consumer behavior all helps facilitate income growth of those businesses,” he said.
But will this growth alone help Indo- nesia itself, rather than just making tele- coms and car manufacturers better off?

Some don’t think so, given the country’s continuing dependence on produc- ing raw materials such as coal and palm oil.

“The value-add to the economy is not apparent,” Ichsan concludes. You can’t compare Indonesia’s list of the richest with prominent figures on the US rich list like Steve Jobs of Apple or Bill Gates of Microsoft. They really change people’s lifestyles with their inventions. And the rich list in Indonesia – we are riding on global growth.”

Sime Darby Plantations makes foray into Liberia

The Star | 28 May 2011
By HANIM ADNAN
nem@thestar.com.my

MONROVIA (Liberia): Investing in a West African nation like Liberia may sound like a risky venture but for Sime Darby Plantations Sdn Bhd, it is taking it all in its stride as the resource rich republic has the pre-requisites for oil palm and rubber plantations.

“Risks can happen anywhere even if you go to the moon,” said Sime Darby Bhd chairman Tun Musa Hitam.

International oil palm plantation companies, which are facing severe land scarcity, are flocking to Liberia which to date is believed to have made available 1.5 million ha for oil palm cultivation.

Plantation companies that are making large-scaled plantations include Golden VerOleum from Indonesia, Equatorial Palm Oil from Britain and Sime Darby.

For Sime Darby, it will be a long-term venture, Musa told a group of Malaysian journalists covering Sime Darby's first oil palm planting ceremony in Matambo Estate, Grand Cape Mount county here last week.

The Sime Darby plantations venture in the republic is the third tour of duty as the previous two attempts were interrupted by wars.

After a 14-year civil war, peace seems to have been restored in Liberia under a power-sharing government in 2003.

With the United Nation peacekeeping troops having a strong presence in the republic and the new government's liberal business policy to encourage foreign investments, Liberia is now attracting big names from the international investment circle.

Investors from Britain, China, India, Indonesia and the United States were keen to tap into Liberia's rich resources including raw timber, rubber, iron ore, gold, diamonds as well as sprawling agriculture land suitable for plantations.

International investors which have made their presence in Liberia included steel giant AccelorMittal with a US$1.5bil investment, China Union Group at US$2.6bil and Australian mining giant BHP Biliton at an estimated US$3bil.

The former Kumpulan Guthrie had operated rubber plantations in the republic between 1981 and 2002.

However, two civil wars had forced Guthrie to withdraw from the country. With the PNB plantation-GLCs merger - Sime Darby, Guthrie and Golden Hope, the new Sime Darby Bhd was formed in 2007.

“Sime Darby has a big commitment to develop these plantations and to ensure its sustainable developmen,” Musa said.

In 2009, Sime Darby Plantation had been granted 220,000ha under a 63-year concession agreement with the Liberian government to develop oil palm and rubber plantations in four counties namely Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, Bong and Bomi.

“Our pledge to invest US$3.1bil over the next 15 years in the republic is a very serious commitment indeed. More importantly once the entire concession area is fully operational, we hope to be able to employ about 35,000 people in Liberia,” Musa said.

Sime Darby Plantation produces 2.4 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO) annually, of which over one million tonnes are certified sustainable palm oil.

“We expects a fully operational upstream capacity in West Africa will provide Sime Darby Plantation with greater access to markets on the Atlantic Rim, Europe and Africa thus offering significant savings in logistics and distribution,” Musa added.

Sime Darby head of Plantation Upstream Malaysia Helmy Othman Basha, in a media briefing near Monrovia after the seedling planting ceremony, said plans were being mapped out to fast-track the planting of oil palm in the entire concession area secured by the group.

“We aim to complete ahead of the initial timeline target. Hopefully, we can finish by 2022 or 2023 instead of 2030,” he said.

For the first 11 years, Sime Darby Plantation Liberia is targeting to plant about 120,000ha.

“We expect to see the first drop of CPO from the Liberian estates in three years and we intend to set up the first palm oil mill by 2013,” said Sime Darby head of Plantation Upstream Liberia Azmi Jaafar.

In total, there will be about 55 estates and around 20 palm oil mills to accommodate the entire Sime Darby plantations concession area in Liberia.

“For each 15,000ha, Sime Darby will be putting up one mill and later, a refinery,” added Azmi.

Azmi expected about 90% of the CPO production to be for exports.

Operational-wise, Helmy said that the CPO cost of production (COP) in the republic was about 10% to 15% higher than the Malaysian planters' COP at about RM1,100 to RM1,200 per tonne.

Of the total COP, fertiliser represented about 30%.

Helmy pointed out that the targeted oil extraction rate is slated at about 21% to 22% in the Liberia estates with targeted yield at 22 tonnes to 23 tonnes per ha per year.

The Liberia plantation landbank size at 220,00ha marked Sime Darby's third largest after its landbank in Malaysia (359,845ha) and Indonesia (288,057ha)
Source: The Star

INDONESIA: Mixed response to forest moratorium

An aerial photo of a palm oil factory in Bengkulo
JAKARTA, 30 May 2011 (IRIN) - A long-awaited moratorium by the Indonesian government on new forest concessions, aimed at curbing deforestation, has been welcomed by palm oil farmers but activists believe it does not go far enough.

"We support the government's decree on the moratorium," Maruli Sitorus, a palm oil farmer in Labahan Batu in North Sumatra Province, said. "We have seen outrageous expansions of big plantation companies at the expense of small farmers whose land has been shrinking. We hope the moratorium can limit this."

More than 100,000 hectares of peatland in Southeast Asia are being converted annually into plantations for palm oil and pulpwood, according to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

Peatlands store enormous quantities of carbon and their destruction releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change.

According to the World Resources Institute, deforestation and forest degradation and loss of peatland in Indonesia accounts for more than 80 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions.

Indonesia is home to one of the world's largest areas of peatland and is the largest exporter and producer of palm oil, with 7.5 million hectares of plantations.

On 20 May, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a long-awaited decree banning concessions on 63 million hectares of primary forests and peatland as part of a US$1 billion deal with Norway signed in May 2010 to fight climate change.

The two-year ban puts a halt to new logging areas in "primary" forests - including areas untouched by humans and areas containing peat - but does not apply to existing forest licences and those that have been approved in principle.

Sitorus, speaking on behalf of small farmers, urged the government to help improve productivity, including subsidizing saplings and fertilizers and determining the price of oil palm fresh fruit bunches, which are used in palm oil production.

"The government should not stop at the moratorium. We small farmers have very limited access to technology," he said. "Prices of fertilizers are skyrocketing and they are scarce."

Sawit Watch, an NGO advocating for small palm oil farmers, said about 500 families depended on palm oil for their livelihoods in North Sumatra.

Upping production

Swisto Uwin, a palm oil farmer in Sekadau District of West Kalimantan Province, said the moratorium was a good first step, but that further support was necessary.

"We recognize that it's a good policy, but we want the government to help farmers improve productivity so that we can focus on replanting. Lack of support for small-scale palm oil farmers from the government will not help us to be able to stand on our feet," he told IRIN. Uwin said farmers could only produce 12 tonnes of fresh palm fruit per hectare per year, while those in Malaysia produced twice as much.

Aida Greenbury, a managing director at the Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the biggest pulp and paper companies in the world, was confident about the outcome of the moratorium for the firm.

"Asia Pulp and Paper will take action to emerge from the moratorium a healthier business with a clear and definitive vision for the future of our sustainable forestry management, manufacturing, conservation and social investment programmes," she said.

APP is part of the Sinar Mas Group, which also operates Indonesia's largest palm oil manufacturer, SMART. The conglomerate has been accused by environmentalists of being responsible for much of Indonesia's forest destruction.

More needed

CIFOR called the decree a "positive development", but said more stringent measures were needed if Indonesia was to meet its ambitious targets of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2020.

The moratorium's omission of secondary forests, woodlands that have been re-forested, raises concerns about Indonesia's ability to meet its emission reduction target.

"Significant reductions in forestry emissions in Indonesia through tree planting alone would not be feasible as the number of trees needed to fully achieve emission reduction targets would require a land area twice the size of the entire country," said Louis Verchot, CIFOR's principal climate change scientist. "Instead, emission reduction efforts need to focus on keeping existing forests as forests."

The NGO Greenpeace described the decree as a "progressive" move but said it was inadequate. "It doesn't mean much in terms of forest protection because most of the forest areas covered by the ban are under protected forest status legally," Yuyun Indradi, a Southeast Asia forest campaigner for Greenpeace, explained.

"We want to stress there's a need for a review of licences given to logging, pulp and paper, mining and plantation companies because they are operating in ecologically important areas," he said.

According to the environmental group, under the moratorium about 40 million hectares of forest, an area roughly the size of California, could still be destroyed.

atp/nb/mw
source:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92841

Wildlife in Trouble from Oil Palm Plantations

Wildlife in Trouble from Oil Palm Plantations, Researchers Say

ScienceDaily (May 22, 2011) — Forest fragmentation driven by demand for palm oil is having a catastrophic effect on multiple levels of biodiversity, scientists from Queen Mary, University of London have discovered.
The researchers are worried that unless steps are taken to safeguard and manage the remaining forest, then certain species will struggle to survive.

The study, which focused on bats as an indicator of environmental change, was published in the journal Ecology Letters.

The team conducted bat surveys in pristine forest and also in forest patches of varying size in central Peninsular Malaysia. They recorded the numbers of different species present and also assessed the level of genetic diversity within populations of some species.

Lead author Matthew Struebig, jointly based at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Kent, said: "We found that smaller forest areas support fewer species, and that those species that remain face an eventual decline, potentially leading to local extinction in the long-term."

When the team compared the number of species present to genetic diversity within populations they found that fragmentation appeared to have an even greater impact on genetic loss, which might also be important for long-term population viability.

"We found that in order to retain the numbers of bat species seen in pristine forest, forest patches had to be larger than 650 hectares, however to retain comparable levels of genetic diversity, areas needed to be greater than 10,000 hectares," he said.

Co-author Stephen Rossiter, also at Queen Mary, emphasised that the findings could have important implications for forest management in the face of the ever-growing demand for oil palm plantations.

He said: "We found that while more species existed in larger forest patches, even small fragments contributed to overall diversity. Therefore, conservation managers should aim to protect existing small fragments, while seeking to join up small forest areas to maximise diversity."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110520122231.htm

Investor Sawit RI Berekspansi Sampai Afrika

Kamis, 24/03/2011 14:01 WIB
Investor Sawit RI Berekspansi Sampai Afrika
Ade Irawan - detikFinance


Foto: dok.detikFinance
Jakarta - Pemerintah bakal mendukung ekspansi investor sawit lokal ke luar negeri. Saat ini Sinarmas sudah mempunyai 250 hektare lahan sawit di Liberia. Pemerintah berjanjir bakal mendukung.

Demikian disampaikan oleh Wakil Menteri Pertanian Bayu Krisnamurthi ketika ditemui di Gedung Wisma Antara, Jakarta, Kamis (24/3/2011).

"Kita masih kurang mendukung investor yang investasi di luar. Investor kita saat ini sudah ada yang buka perusahaan CPO di Afrika. Menurut catatan saya ada 250 hektare di Liberia atas nama Sinarmas," tutur Bayu.

Bayu mengatakan, saat ini pemerintah yaitu Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal (BKPM) dan Kementerian Luar Negeri sedang berkomunikasi instensif untuk memberikan dukungan kepada investor lokal yang berinvestasi di luar negeri.

Dikatakan Bayu, industri sawit Indonesia merupakan yang terbesar di dunia. "Kita adalah produsen dan eksportir sawi terbesar, dan sawit merupakan sumbangan terbesar Indonesia ke dunia," ucap Bayu.

Karena itu, Indonesia harusnya bisa menjadi negara yang besar dengan pengembangan industri sawit, dan mampu mengembangkan sayapnya secara internasional.
http://us.detikfinance.com/read/2011/03/24/135720/1600363/1036/investor-sawit-ri-berekspansi-sampai-afrika

Industri Wajib Ikut Standar Sawit Lestari Ala RI

Rabu, 30/03/2011 15:44 WIB
Industri Wajib Ikut Standar Sawit Lestari Ala RI
Suhendra - detikFinance

Jakarta - Standar minyak sawit lestari versi Indonesia atau yang biasa disebut Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) akan diwajibkan untuk seluruh pelaku industri sawit di Tanah Air. Rencananya, semua pelaku sawit termasuk industri sawit harus sudah memiliki sertifikasi ISPO paling lambat 2014.

"Ya, sifatnya wajib, tetapi bertahap. Tahun ini uji coba dan proses transisi. Rencananya wajib penuh mulai 2014," kata Wakil Menteri Pertanian Bayu Krisnamurthi kepada detikFinance, Rabu (30/3/2011)

Bayu menjelaskan ketentuan sertifikasi ISPO secara prinsip mulai berlaku tahun ini, namun ada proses transisi. Kemudian mulai Maret 2012 menjadi wajib untuk yang sudah siap, dan kemudian pada tahu 2014 wajib untuk semua pelaku sawit.

ISPO dicanangkan oleh pemerintah akhir Maret 2011 ini. Seluruh perkebunan kelapa sawit diharapkan sudah mengantongi sertifikat ISPO di 2014.

Kebijakan pemerintah untuk memberlakukan ISPO sebagai antisipasi perlakukan negara-negara importir minyak sawit mentah atau crude palm oil (CPO). Pelaku pasar biasanya hanya mau membeli apabila perusahaan eksportir itu sudah memiliki sertifikat RSPO.

Selama ini ketentuan mengenai Standar minyak sawit lestari tertuang dalam Rountable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) yang disepakati oleh para stakeholder kelapa sawit di internasional.
(hen/dnl)
http://us.detikfinance.com/read/2011/03/30/154334/1604918/1036/industri-wajib-ikut-standar-sawit-lestari-ala-ri

RI Bidik Serbia Jadi Pintu Masuk Sawit ke Eropa

Sabtu, 21/05/2011 10:05 WIB
RI Bidik Serbia Jadi Pintu Masuk Sawit ke Eropa
Ade Irawan - detikFinance


Foto: dok.detikFinance
Jakarta - Indonesia akan menjadikan Serbia sebagai salah satu pintu masuk perdagangan kelapa sawit di kawasan Eropa. Saat ini, pemerintah Indonesia sedang menjajaki Serbia sebagai transit awal perdagangan kelapa sawit di kawasan Eropa Timur.

Demikian disampaikan Wakil Menteri Perdagangan ketika ditemui di kantornya, Jakarta, Jumat (20/5/2011).

"Serbia merupakan salah satu potensi besar untuk menjajaki pembukaan pintu masuk langsung dan menjadikannya untuk transit," katanya.

Mahendra menilai, dengan dijajakinnya Serbisa sebagai salah satu pintu masuk perdagangan kelapa sawit di kawasan Eropa Timur, bukan tidak mungkin Indonesia akan memasuki kawasan Eropa lainnya seperti Eropa Barat. Saat ini, untuk masuk ke kawasan Eropa Barat, perdagangan kelapa sawit dari Indonesia harus melalui pelabuhan Rotterdam dan Hamburg.

"Untuk masuk Eropa adalah lewat Rotterdam dan Hamburg, Namun kita melihat ada pintu masuk baru. Salah satunya adalah kawasan Balkan," ujarnya.

Mahendra menambakan, setelah Indonesia menyelesaikan masalah kelapa sawit berkelanjutan yang terjadi, Indonesia akan meningkatkan olahan kelapa sawitnya untuk segera dipasarkan ke kawasan Eropa.

"Setelah kita bisa menyelesaikan kesalahpahaman persepsi kita semakin meningkatkan olahan sawit kita," ungkapnya.

Lebih lanjut Mahendra menjelaskan komoditas lain seperti kakao yang juga akan diperdagangkan di Eropa juga akan meningkat. program hilirisasi yang dijalankan pemerintah telah dilakukan dan berjalan baik.

"Kita sudah mendirikan pabrik baru kakao di Batam. Kebijakan kita untuk hilirisasi untuk kakao berjalan baik," imbuhnya.

(ade/dnl)
sumber:
http://us.detikfinance.com/read/2011/05/21/100529/1643785/1036/ri-bidik-serbia-jadi-pintu-masuk-sawit-ke-eropa

Industri Sawit Minta Tunda Moratorium Hutan

Minggu, 22/05/2011 12:26 WIB
Jakarta - Perusahaan-perusahaan sawit besar yang terhimpun dalam Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia (Gapki) memprotes Instruksi Presiden (Inpres) No 10 Tahun 2011 tentang moratorium (penundaan) Pemberian Izin Baru dan Penyempurnaan Tata Kelola Hutan Alam Primer dan Lahan Gambut. Gapki mendesak presiden agar melakukan penundaan terhadap keputusan

"Gapki menyayangkan bahwa Inpres ini tidak sepenuhnya mengakomodasi aspirasi dari industri sawit yang merupakan salah satu industri yang strategis dan penting dalam ekonomi Indonesia," kata Direktur Eksekutif Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia (GAPKI) M Fadhil Hasan dalam keterangan tertulisnya, Minggu (22/5/2011)

Fadhil mengatakan bahwa Inpres ini bersifat diskriminatif karena memberikan pengecualian kepada beberapa aktivitas ekonomi yaitu : geothermal, minyak dan gas bumi, ketenaga listrikan, lahan untuk padi dan tebu. Sementara aktivitas industri lain seperti sawit tertutup kesempatannya dalam berekspansi padahal sektor ini vital dan strategis bagi ekonomi.

Ia juga mengatakan lahirnya inpres ini juga berpotensi konflik dengan peraturan perundang-undangan lain seperti misalnya undang-undang No 41 Tahun 1999 tentang kehutanan. Bahkan dalam inpres ini bertabrakan dengan Keppres No. 32 tahun 1990 maupun Permentan No 14/2009 membolehkan penggunaan lahan gambut dengan kedalaman kurang dari 3 meter.

"Bahwa ketentuan tentang 'peta indikatif penundaan ijin baru' dapat menimbulkan dispute dengan 'RTRW' yang justru akan menimbulkan persoalan baru," ucapnya.

Pihaknya menyayangkan bahwa moratorium itu tidak mengatur pemanfaatan lahan-lahan hutan terdegradasi yang dapat digunakan untuk aktivitas perekonomian. Padahal didalam Letter of Intent (LoI) yang ditandatangani oleh Presiden, selain moratorium pemerintah juga diharuskan untuk mengidentifikasi lahan terdegradasi yang dapat digunakan untuk aktivitas ekonomi.

"Oleh karena itu, Gapki meminta agar pemerintah agar menunda implementasi Inpres ini dan segera mengeluarkan instruksi Presiden tentang pemanfaatan (prosedur) lahan terdegradasi sesuai dengan Letter of Intent (LoI)," katanya.

Seperti diketahui mulai 20 Mei 2011 penerapan moratorium (penundaan) terhadap pemberian izin kawasan hutan alam dan gambut berlaku efektif. Moratorium ini berlaku selama dua tahun kedepan sesuai Instruksi Presiden (Inpres) No 10 Tahun 2011 tentang penundaan pemberian izin baru dan penyempurnaan tata kelola hutan alam dan lahan gambut. Inpres ini berlaku khusus untuk 64,2 juta hektar hutan alam primer dan lahan gambut di Indonesia.

Dalam Inpres itu diatur juga bahwa penundaan pemberian izin baru berlaku untuk hutan alam primer dan lahan gambut yang berada di hutan konservasi, hutan lindung, hutan produksi (hutan produksi terbatas, hutan produksi biasa atau tetap, hutan produksi yang dapat dikonversi) dan area penggunaan lain. Atas Moratorium itu Indonesia mendapatkan komitmen kucuran dana hingga US$ 1 miliar dari Norwegia.

"Dana yang Us$ 30 juta sudah cair dan saat ini sudah ditangan UNDP (United Nation Development Program) sebagai lembaga yang ditunjuk sebagai pengelola dana," jelas Staf Khusus Presiden Bidang Perubahan Iklim Agus Purnomo beberapa waktu lalu.

(hen/hen)
sumber:
http://us.detikfinance.com/read/2011/05/22/122612/1644114/1036/industri-sawit-minta-tunda-moratorium-hutan

Pertumbuhan Perusahaan Perkebunan Sawit Tidak Diiringi Kesejahteraan Petani

MedanBisnis – Aek Kanopan. Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS), melakukan konsolidasi hingga ke tingkat desa untuk menghimpun petani kelapa sawit yang ada di Kabupaten Labuhanbatu Utara (Labura).
Sekjend SPKS Labura, Maruli Sitorus yang hadir dalam acara konsolidasi yang dilaksanakan di Desa Padang Maninjo, Kecamatan Aek Kuo, Selasa (17/5), pertumbuhan perusahaan perkebunan yang terus melakukan ekspansi tidak diiringi dengan peningkatan kesejahteraan petani kelapa sawit.

“Masyarakat petani di sekitar perusahaan perkebunan semakin sengsara, terbukti dengan semakin banyaknya konflik tanah bahkan banyak petani yang tergusur akibat kehadiran perusahaan-perusaahaan perkebunan besar,” kata Maruli.

Selain itu, jelasnya, petani kelapa sawit juga sering kesulitan memperoleh akses pupuk suibsidi bahkan petani kelapa sawit sering menjadi korban dalam penentuan harga TBS (Tandan Buah Segar).

“Kebijakan pemerintah selama ini masih mengedepankan kepentingan pengusaha besar ketimbang kesejahteraan petani kelapa sawit,” jelasnya.

Karena itu, kehadiran SPKS di Labura untuk melakukan pemberdayaan para petani kelapa sawit. Untuk itu, perlu dilakukan konsolidasi dengan pembentukan kelompok-kelompok petani kelapa sawit serta kepengurusan SPKS hingga ke tingkat desa.

Ketua SPKS Kecamatan Kuo, Ngatimin, mengatakan, masalah lain yang dihadapi petani kelapa sawit, seringnya kewalahan dalam meningkatkan kualitas TBS nya karena keterbatasan pengetahuan dalam memilih bibit. Selain itu, petani juga kesulitan melakukan replanting karena keterbatasan modal.

“Dengan hadirnya SPKS di Labura ini, diharapkan dapat menjadi wadah bagi para petani kelapa sawit yang ada di Labura dalam menyelesaikan berbagai masalahnya,” jelas Ngatimin.
(ricardo simanjuntak)
sumber:
http://www.medanbisnisdaily.com/news/read/2011/05/18/34701/pertumbuhan_perusahaan_perkebunan_sawit_tidak_diiringi_kesejahteraan_petani/#.TcnIxFsrrO8

Dilarang Buka Kebun Sawit Hingga 2 Tahun ke Depan

Moratorium Hutan
Dilarang Buka Kebun Sawit Hingga 2 Tahun ke Depan
Suhendra - detikFinance

Jakarta - Instruksi Presiden (Inpres) Inpres No 10 Tahun 2011 terkait
moratorium (penundaan) izin kawasan hutan alam dan gambut mengecualikan 4
hal. Dari pengecualian tersebut, sektor perkebunan kelapa sawit tak masuk,
sehingga pembukaan lahan barunya tetap dilarang.

Berdasarkan Inpres itu, moratorium izin penggunaan kawasan hutan alam primer
dan lahan gambut tak berlaku atau dikecualikan kepada empat hal yaitu:
Permohonan yang telah mendapat persetujuan prinsip dari Menteri Kehutanan.
Pelaksanaan pembangunan nasional yang bersifat vital yaitu geothermal minyak
dan gas bumi, ketenagalistrikan, lahan untuk padi dan tebu.
Perpanjangan izin pemanfaatan hutan dan/atau penggunaan kawasan hutan yang
telah ada sepanjang izin di bidang usahanya masih berlaku.
Restorasi ekosistem.

Dalam Inpres itu diatur juga soal penundaan pemberian izin baru berlaku
untuk hutan alam primer dan lahan gambut yang berada di hutan konservasi,
hutan lindung, hutan produksi (hutan produksi terbatas, hutan produksi biasa
atau tetap, hutan produksi yang dapat dikonversi) dan area penggunaan lain.

Tidak dimasukkannya perkebungan kelapa sawit dalam pengecualian moratorium
tersebut langsung dikecam kalangan pengusaha kelapa sawit. Ketentuan
tersebut dinilai sebagai bentuk ketidakpedulian pemerintah terhadap industri
kelapa sawit.

"Apakah ini diskriminasi kesannya sawit dianggap pejahat. Berarti dengan
kata lain sawit tidak diangap vital oleh pemerintah, padahal ini sama-sama
komoditi," kata Sekjen Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit (Gapki) Joko
Supriyono kepada detikFinance, Jumat (20/5/2011).

Joko menambahkan selama ini sektor sawit memberikan imbas yang sangat
positif terhadap pengurangan kemiskinan, penciptaan tenaga kerja, penerimaan
negara dari sisi devisa dan pajak dan pembangua wilayah

"Kalau fungsi itu tidak dianggap vital saya nggak tahu berarti vital itu
apa," katanya.

Joko menegaskan pihaknya merasa kecewa dengan keputusan pemerintah melalui
Inpres tersebut. Padahal kata dia, pelaku sawit tak meminta macam-macam
yaitu hanya meminta tidak dimasukannya area penggunaan lain (APL) dalam
moratorium.

"Area penggunaa lain itu harusnya haknya industri, itu halal untuk industri
agar bisa tetap berkembang. Area penggunaan lain bukan kawasan hutan itu
halal karena untuk pengembangan ekonomi, kalau sekarang ini dimoratorium,"
katanya.

Meskipun Joko mengakui dalam Inpres tersebut ada pengecualian terkait izin
prinsip yang sudah diberikan. Didalamnya ada kemungkinan izin yang sudah
diberikan kepada sektor sawit meski ia belum puas.

"Pasti iya (izin prinsip itu ada untuk sawit), tapi yang kita konsen adalah
izin baru, kalau izin prinsip itu untuk pengembangan semua. Harusnya sawit
difasilitasi untuk berkembang," katanya.

Ekspansi Sawit, Blunder ketiga

sumber : http://www.rakyatmerdekaonline.com/news.php?id=26945

DISKUSI DI UTRECHT (3)
Ekspansi Perkebunan Sawit, Blunder Ketiga Penghancuran Hutan Tropis di Indonesia
Kamis, 12 Mei 2011 , 17:03:00 WIB
Laporan: A. Supardi Adiwidjaya

RMOL. Masalah agraria di Indonesia diperbincangkan juga di Utrecht, Belanda, dalam sebuah diskusi.

Bertempat di gedung sekolah Prinses Beatrixlaan No.2, Utrecht, diskusi tersebut digelar pada hari Minggu lalu (8/5). Salah satu pembicara utama yang hadir adalah dosen Universitas Darma Agung Medan, Saurlin Siagian. Saurlin sendiri sedang mengadakan penelitian di Den Haag.

Dalam diskusi tersebut, Saurlin membawakan makalah berjudul "Potret masalah Perkebunan Sawit di Indonesia." Isi dalam makalah tersebut mendapat perhatian serius dari para peserta diskusi. Merujuk pada arti penting masalah perkebunan sawit yang disampaikan Saurlin Siagian dalam makalahnya, Redaksi berkeinginan memuat isi makalah tersebut. Ini adalah bagian terakhir dari makalah tersebut.

***

BAKU bantah antara pengusaha perkebunan sawit dengan aktivis lingkungan tentang apakah perkebunan sawit berdampak terhadap perubahan iklim dengan memakai parameter yang berbeda-beda, tentunya kurang bijaksana. Sementara perdebatan itu masih belum usai, monokultur tidak terbantahkan menghancurkan biodiversity. Ekspansi perkebunan sawit disebut sebagai blunder ketiga penghancuran hutan tropis di Indonesia.

Kebijakan pemberian izin Hak Pengusahaan Hutan (HPH) dan izin Hutan Tanaman Industri (HTI) masing-masing disebut sebagai blunder pertama dan kedua. Hanya di satu kabupaten saja, Labuhan Batu Utara, penelitian Lentera (2011) menemukan setidaknya terdapat 20 perkebunan skala menengah dan besar yang berada di kawasan hutan.

Berbeda dengan data yang dikeluarkan pemerintah bahwa sisa hutan di Indonesia seluas 107,48 juta hektar, Walhi menyebut angka 64 juta hektar sebagai hasil dari penghancuran hutan antara 1,6 juta hektar hingga 1,17 juta hektar pertahun.

Masalah Sosial Perburuhan

Penelitian di Sumatera Utara, terdapat setidaknya 80.000 dari 236.000 buruh yang bekerja tanpa jaminan sosial, atau yang dikenal dengan buruh harian lepas. Kondisi kesehatan yang sangat buruk, perumahan yang tidak memadai, dan
pendidikan yang sangat rendah. Mereka juga tidak tergabung dalam serikat buruh perkebunan.

Selain itu, serikat buruh yang ada di perkebunan tidak berpihak terhadap kepentingan buruh, tetapi kepada kepentingan pengusaha. Seperti SP BUN yang ada di perkebunan perkebunan Sumatera Utara.

Beberapa kasus ditemukan, bila buruh terlibat organisasi buruh yang tidak dikehendaki perusahaan, mereka akan dipecat atau dimutasi, seperti yang terjadi di PTPN III, kebun Marbo Selatan, di Labuhan Batu.

Untuk mengatasi masalah-masalah di atas, ada beberapa solusi yang bisa dilakukan.

Pertama, membangun kemandirian dan kedaulatan petani melalui koperasi petani. Cooperative rice farming versus Rice Estate atau menggunakan istilah Soekarno: "Kaum marhaen, bersatulah."

Kedua, menghentikan rencana ekspansi 22 juta hektar untuk korporasi sawit. Rakyat harus menjadi pemilik, atau setidaknya pihak penentu dalam perkebunan sawit yang ada sekarang seluas sekitar delapan juta hektar di Indonesia.

Ketiga, menolak masterplan rezim SBY yang mematikan petani.

Keempat, memperbaiki nasib buruh damn memastikan buruh mendapatkan hak hak dasar seperti gaji dan jaminan sosial. (Habis)

UU Perkebunan Abaikan Pasal 33 UUD 1945

JAKARTA--MICOM: Pasal 21 dan 47 Undang -Undang (UU) Nomor 18 tahun 2004 tentang Perkebunan dinilai telah mengabaikan UUD 1945.

"Secara ideologis filsafati keduanya sama-sama mengacu pada Pasal 33 ayat 3 UUD 1945> Tetapi secara yuridis telah terjadi penghapusan keterkaitan norma," ujar ahli hukum agraria Universitas Brawijaya (Unibraw) Suhariningsih dalam sidang pengujian undang-undang yang dipimpin oleh Wakil Ketua Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK) Achmad Sodiki, Jakarta, Selasa (10/5).

Ahli yang dihadirkan oleh pemohon itu menyatakan penghapusan norma itu tidak secara langsung melanggar Pasal 33 UUD 1945, namun berpotensi mengilangkan hak-hak warga negara.

Menurut Suhariningsih, konflik pertanahan yang sering terjadi antara pemerintah maupun badan hukum swasta dengan petani di sekitar perkebunan seringkali tidak berpihak pada rakyat kecil. Negara, katanya, tidak boleh mengorbankan rakyatnya demi kepentingan pihak investor.

"UU Perkebunan secara substansi dan normatif telah tidak berkesesuaian dengan cita-cita negara hukum Indonesia untuk mensejahterakan rakyatnya," kata Suhariningsih.

Suhariningsih pun mengutip pendapat Prof Achmad Sodiki dalam sebuah seminar nasional, sepuluh tahun lalu. Dalam seminar itu, kata Suhariningsih, Sodiki menyebut ketika negara tidak mampu meningkatkan perekonomian dan selanjutnya bergandengan tangan dengan para pemodal asing maka telah terjadi perubahan substantif.

"Menurut saya materi muatan dalam pasal-pasal itu tidak mengandung asas pengayoman terhadap rakyat miskin. Dalam kenyataan di lapangan, masyarakat hukum adat justru tersingkir dari akses tanah sebagai sumber kehidupan mereka karena hadirnya investor," tukas Suhariningsih.

Hal senada disampaikan oleh pakar antropologi Prof I Nyoman Nurjaya. Guru Besar Fakultas Hukum Unibraw itu mengatakan Pasal 21 UU 18/2004 itu sebagai pasal mengada-ada, karena di KUHAP juga telah mengatur soal pidana.

"Redaksi pasal ini sudah ada di KUHAP. Jadi tak perlu lagi diatur (dalam UU 18/2004)," ujarnya.

Pasal 21 UU tersebut mengatur tentang larangan menggunakan tanah perkebunan tanpa izin karena tindakan itu melanggar hak atas tanah orang lain. Sementara, Pasal 47 tidak bisa dilepaskan dari Pasal 21. Sebab, berdasarkan penafsiran sistematis siapapun yang melanggar unsur-unsur Pasal 21 baik disengaja atau karena kelalaiannya dapat dituntut pidana sesuai Pasal 47 yang memuat sanksinya

Permohonan pengujian undang-undang ini diajukan oleh empat petani dari tiga daerah. Mereka adalah Sakri (Blitar, Jatim), Ngatimin alias Keling (Serdang Begadai, Sumut), serta Vitalis Andi dan Japin (Ketapang, Kalbar).

Bersama kuasa hukum mereka, Wahyu Wagiman dan Andi Muttaqien, serta pihak terkait dari LSM Sawit Watch, mereka meminta MK agar membatalkan Pasal 21 juncto Pasal 47 ayat 1 dan 2 UU 18/2004.

Wahyu, usai sidang, menjelaskan ketentuan dalam pasal tersebut juga mencerminkan adanya pembedaan kedudukan, ketidakadilan, serta ketidakpastian hukum yang merugikan petani. UU tersebut, ujarnya, harus mampu melindungi hak-hak masyarakat adat dan penduduk lokal.

"Sebab dengan adanya ketentuan tersebut maka tindakan untuk memperjuangkan hak petani dapat dianggap mengganggu jalannya usaha perkebunan," kata Wahyu.

Ia menuturkan sampai pertengahan 2010, sedikitnya terjadi 106 kasus kriminalisasi petani akibat bersengketa dengan perusahaan perkebunan. Wahyudi pun menerangkan bahwa Ngatimin telah terlibat dalam konflik lahan itu sejak tahun 1968, saat ia masih bersama orang tuanya.

"Kalau tidak direview akan menimbulkan banyak konflik agraria. Seolah-olah konflik dipelihara," tukas Wahyu.

Pada sidang sebelumnya, 20 April 2011, pemerintah menyatakan tujuan UU perkebunan adalah meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat, penerimaan negara, produktivitas, nilai tambah dan daya saing. Sedangkan pada pasal yang diuji materi, ahli dari pemerintah Achyar Salmi menyatakan ketentuan pidana dalam pasal itu telah sesuai dengan asas legalitas. (*/OL-3)

Sumber: http://www.mediaindonesia.com/read/2011/05/11/225108/284/1/-UU-Perkebunan-Abaikan-Pasal-33-UUD-1945

Petani Sawit Bentrok dengan Satpam, 7 Tewas.

Petani Sawit Bentrok dengan Satpam, 7 Tewas.

Jum'at, 22-04-2011 | 12:49 WIB

OKI, batamtoday - Bentrokan maut terjadi antara warga yang kebanyakan adalah
petani sawit, dengan petugas Satpam PT Sumber Wangi Alam (SWA), di Desa
Sungai Sodong, Kecamatan Mesuji, Kabupaten Ogan Komering Ilir (OKI), Sumatra
Selatan, Kamis 21 April 2011. Bentrokan menyebabkan tujuh orang tewas.

Korban jatuh dari kedua belah pihak. Dari pihak warga, korban tewas sebanyak
3 orang, sedangkan dari pihak Satpam 4 jiwa melayang.

Keterangan diperoleh menyebutkan bahwa, bentrokan ini terjadi karena
sengketa lahan antara warga dengan pihak PT SWA. Sengketa sudah lama
berlangsung , dan tak pernah ada penyelesaian yang tegas dan tuntas dari
pihak pemda maupun aparat setempat.

Seperti pada akhir tahun lalu, disebutkan warga melakukan panen di kebun
inti PT SWA, di bawah pengamanan pasukan Brimob. Namun pada waktu yang lain,
PT SWA menangkap warga dengan tuduhan melakukan pencurian atas buah sawit.

Akhirnya hubungan antara perusahaan dan warga setempat, terutama petani
sawit menjadi runcing, dan rawan bentrok. Dan kemarin terbukti, konlik
tersebut akhirnya berujung pada bentrok fisik dengan menggunakan senjata,
yang mengakibatkan tujuh jiwa melayang sia-sia.

Kasus ini tengah ditangani Petugas Polresta OKI dan Polda Sumsel yang telah
turun ke lokasi.

Samsung Tanam Rp 8,6 Triliun di Kelapa Sawit

Samsung Tanam Rp 8,6 Triliun di Kelapa Sawit

Jakarta, Kompas - Samsung menyatakan keinginannya untuk berinvestasi sebesar 1 miliar dollar AS atau sekitar Rp 8,6 triliun di Indonesia. Perusahaan raksasa Korea Selatan ini berniat berinvestasi dalam pengembangan lahan perkebunan kelapa sawit dan pembangkit listrik tenaga surya.

Staf Khusus Menteri Koordinator Perekonomian Amir Sambodo mengungkapkan hal itu di Jakarta, Jumat (15/4). Menurut Amir, keinginan perusahaan asal Korea Selatan itu diungkapkan langsung oleh CEO Samsung C&T Corporation Jung Yeon-Joo saat bertemu dengan Menteri Koordinator Perekonomian Hatta Rajasa, Jumat.

Dalam pertemuan tersebut, Jung menyebutkan ingin meningkatkan kawasan perkebunan kelapa sawitnya di Provinsi Riau, dari 25.000 hektar saat ini menjadi dua hingga tiga kali lebih luas. Samsung berkeinginan untuk mendapatkan tambahan lahan di Kalimantan.

”Mereka juga serius untuk membangun pembangkit listrik tenaga surya sebesar 50 megawatt. Setiap megawatt membutuhkan investasi sekitar 3 juta dollar AS sehingga kebutuhan total investasinya adalah sekitar 150 juta dollar AS,” ujarnya.

Samsung meminta agar pemerintah memberikan kemudahan pada rencana investasi itu. Samsung sendiri sudah memiliki kemampuan yang diakui dalam sektor-sektor tersebut.

”Samsung sudah bisa membangun pembangkit listrik tenaga surya sebanyak dua gigawatt di Kanada dan 1,2 gigawatt di Kazakhstan. Jadi, dia memiliki kemampuan yang besar. Bedanya, kalau di Kanada dan Kazakhstan dikombinasikan dengan tenaga angin dan surya. Di Indonesia, tenaga angin tidak terlalu bagus karena harus dibangun dilepas pantai,” kata Amir.

Samsung kemungkinan besar ingin membangun pembangkit listriknya itu di satu titik, bisa di Jawa, Bali, atau pulau lain. Mereka meminta dukungan untuk melakukan studi kelayakan.

”Setelah membangun pembangkit listriknya, mereka akan menyambungkannya pada jaringan listrik yang sudah ada saat ini. Untuk proyek ini, mereka serius karena sudah akan menggaet Bank Ekspor Korea untuk mendanai proyek mereka di Indonesia,” katanya.

Deutsche Bank

Sehari sebelumnya, Hatta juga mendapatkan komitmen pinjaman 1 miliar dollar AS dari Deutsche Bank kepada Trans-Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) untuk membantu perusahaan petrokimia dan penyulingan terbesar di Asia Tenggara itu menyelesaikan utang-utangnya dan penambahan modal kerja.

”Kami bertemu pihak Deutsche Bank dan mereka menyampaikan ketertarikannya untuk investasi 1 miliar dollar AS untuk TPPI Kilang Tuban pada tahun ini,” ujar Hatta Rajasa.

Lebih jauh Amir Sambodo mengatakan, investasi tersebut berupa pinjaman untuk pembiayaan ulang TPPI terhadap utang-utangnya kepada BP Migas, Pertamina, dan Perusahaan Pengelola Aset (PPA) yang diawasi Menteri Keuangan. Total utang TPPI kepada pemerintah sebesar Rp 3,2 triliun dan jatuh tempo pada 2014.

Amir menyatakan, pihak Deutsche Bank yakin memberikan pinjaman ke Indonesia dengan naiknya peringkat Indonesia yang tinggal satu peringkat lagi menjelang peringkat investasi. Hal ini juga menyebabkan bank asal Jerman itu memberikan bunga rendah untuk pinjamannya.

Butuh investasi

Deputi Direktur Riset Ekonomi dan Kebijakan Moneter Bank Indonesia Juda Agung mengatakan, dalam jangka menengah, Indonesia sangat membutuhkan investasi riil untuk menghindari diri dari pertumbuhan ekonomi yang terlampau panas. Ekonomi yang terlampau panas ditandai oleh tingginya pertumbuhan yang disertai oleh tingginya inflasi.

Menurut Juda, dalam jangka pendek, perekonomian Indonesia masih punya peluang untuk tetap tumbuh tanpa disertai inflasi tinggi. ”Syaratnya adalah investasi di sektor riil harus digenjot. Pekerjaan rumah kita yang terbesar adalah menarik sebesar mungkin investasi asing langsung ke sektor riil,” ujarnya.

Sebagai contoh, China mampu mendorong pertumbuhan ekonominya ke level 12 persen tanpa khawatir terlampau panas. ”Karena China masif membangun infrastrukturnya, punya kapasitas besar dalam pengembangan distribusi barang,” ujar Juda. (OIN)
Sumber: http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/04/18/03443610/samsung.tanam.rp.86.triliun.di.kelapa.sawit

Puncak Aksi Penolakan Ekspansi Sawit, GAPKI Ingin Rampas Tanah Rakyat

Medan-ORBIT: Komersialisasi sawit di Indonesia dimulai sejak tahun
1911. Seiring berjalannya waktu, komersialisasi berkembang ke arah
kapitalisasi perkebunan melalui ekspansi terutama 10 tahun belakangan
ini.
Ekspansi tersebut dipicu oleh tingginya permintaan pasar global
terhadap Crude Palm Oil (CPO) baik untuk keperluan produk bahan
makanan, aneka produk kosmetik maupun energi (agrofuel).
Hal itu didengungkan demonstran yang tergabung dalam Koalisi Anti
Mafia Hutan saat menyampaikan orasi di depan Hotel Tiara Medan, tempat
berlangsungnya perayaan seratus tahun sawit oleh Gabungan Pengusaha
Kelapa Sawit Indonesia (GAPKI), Selasa (29/3).
Menurut Eksekutif Komite Aksi Saurlin Siagian, saat ini luas
perkebunan sawit di Indonesia mencapai 7,9 juta hektar, dengan
komposisi ke pemilikan 65% dikuasai oleh korporasi dan 35% oleh non
korporasi atau petani berdasi.
Namun katanya, investasi korporasi hanya membawa derita bagi rakyat
Indonesia. Selain itu, kerakusan industri ekstraktif, telah mematikan
Daerah Aliran Sungai (DAS), merusak hutan primer.
“Lebih dari 5.000 DAS yang berada di Kawasan Taman Nasional mati
akibat ekspansi perkebunan kelapa sawit. Banjir terus meningkat
pengungsi setiap tahun semakin bertambah dan meluas,” ungkapnya
diikuti yel-yel para aktivis lainnya.
Sementara, sambung Saurlin, para pengusaha perkebunan kelapa sawit
yang tergabung di dalam GAPKI hanya ingin merampas dan menguasai
sumber-sumber agraria (lahan rakyat). Dia menilai , pemerintah telah
melalaikan tugasnya untuk melindungi warga negaranya, yang seharusnya
mendapatkan perlindungan maksimal.
Di sisi lain, Direktur Eksekutif Walhi Sumut Syahrul Isman Manik
mengungkapkan argumentasi (penilaian) bahwa ekspansi sawit akan
menyerap tenaga kerja (buruh) dan mengentaskan kemiskinan di pedesaan
merupakan suatu kebohongan.
Asumsi itu, kata Syahrul, dalam hitungan pemerintah dan korporasi yang
menyebutkan 20 juta hektar lahan perkebunan akan menyerap sekitar
10 juta buruh sangatlah jauh dari kenyataan.
“Fakta yang ditemukan di lapangan dalam 100 hektar lahan hanya
menyerap sekitar 22 orang tenaga kerja sehingga dengan demikian dengan
20 juta Hektar hanya menyerap 4,4 juta buruh,” ujar Syahrul.
Syahrul juga mengatakan praktik kuli kontrak dibangkitkan kembali
dalam bentuk baru yaitu Buruh Harian Lepas (BHL), dan tukang
berondolan (pengutip buah sawit) yang bekerja setiap hari tanpa
jaminan kerja bahkan tanpa ikatan kerja yang jelas.
Kemudian lanjut Syahrul, BHL tidak memperoleh jaminan sosial sebagai
pekerja meskipun sumbangan mereka sangat besar dalam upaya menunjang
proses produksi perkebunan.
Sedangkan Ketua Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI) Wagimin menilai,
korporasi sawit melahirkan konflik agraria terutama konflik lahan
sebagai dampak kapitalisasi perkebunan.
Konflik lahan yang merupakan warisan kolonial perkebunan, kata
Wagimin, hingga saat ini masih terus berlanjut melalui Undang-Undang
Nomor 25 Tahun 2007 Tentang Penanaman Modal dan Undang-Undang Nomor 18
Tahun 2004 tentang Perkebunan.

Bentrok
Isinya, menjamin masa waktu 95 tahun bagi korporasi untuk menguasai
lahan dengan tidak ada pembatasan yang jelas.
“Hal ini jelas-jelas merupakan kebangkitan kembali kebijakan zaman
kolonial yaitu onderneeming ordonatie dan agrarichst wet 1870 yang
menjamin penguasaan lahan selama 75 tahun. Padahal substansi dan
kenyataan aturan kolonial ini sudah dikoreksi dalam UU pokok agraria,”
terang Wagimin.
Akibatnya, kata Wagimin, tidak hanya kondisi kolonialisme muncul
kembali, melainkan petani miskin yang memperjuangkan tanah dan
penghidupannya dari korporasi sawit pun tergusur.
Malah Wagimin menilai para petani seringkali dikriminalisasi. Hal itu
disebabkan kemenangan korporasi sawit yang mengakibatkan seluruh
wilayah republik ini dapat ditanami dengan tanaman perkebunan tanpa
syarat yang mutlak.
Untuk itu, Koalisi Anti Mafia Hutan yang terdiri dari beberapa elemen
seperti KPS, Lentera, Petra, LBH Medan, Walhi Sumut, LSM Papua,Kontras
Sumut, SPI, SahdaR, BITRA Indonesia, ELSAM, BPRPI, HAPSARI, Greenpeace
dan LSM di Riau mendesak agar ekspansi sawit segera dihentikan.
Sementara itu, di tengah-tengah orasi, massa melakukan pembakaran
tiruan bola bumi sebagai bentuk dukacita terhadap keberlangsungan bumi
yang terus dieksplorasi.
Aksi pembakaran itu mengakibatkan sejumlah aparat kepolisian
berpakaian sipil berusaha menghentikan dan menangkap pembakar tiruan
bola bumi.
Kontan saja upaya provokasi aparat kepolisian itu membuat massa
berontak hingga terjadi keributan yang berlangsung selama lima menit.
Terlihat aparat kepolisian bentrok dengan beberapa demonstran.
Namun aksi bentrok itu tidak berlangsung lama karena kordinator aksi
mengimbau kepada massa agar tidak terprovokasi.

Tolak Proposal GAPKI
Setelah itu, massa kemballi melanjutkan orasinya. Dalam orasinya
mereka juga mendesak agar UU Nomor 18 tahun 2004 tentang perkebunan
serta UU Nomor 25 Tahun 2007 Tentang Penanaman Modal segera dicabut.
Kemudian mereka juga mengharapakan pemerintah menyediakan lahan untuk
pertanian pangan.
“Kami harap juga kepada Bank Internasional, Bank Nasional dan Bank
Asing untuk menghentikan kredit kepada korporasi dalam rangka ekspansi
sawit. Serta menghentikan sistem perbudakan modern yaitu buruh murah
dalam bentuk Buruh Kontrak, Buruh Harial Lepas di industri perkebunan
kelapa sawit,” tegas Saurlin di sela-sela aksi.
Dalam aksi itu, para demonstran juga menggelar aksi teatrikal dari
aktivis Green Student Movement (GSM) Sumut. Setelah melakukan orasi di
depan Tiara Hotel, para demonstran melanjutkan long march menuju
kantor Gubernur Sumatera Utara.
Di kantor Gubsu, massa kembali berorasi mendesak pemerintah
memperhatikan nasib petani buruh dan rakyat miskin yang semakin
termiskinkan oleh ekspansi sawit.
“Kita menolak proposal yang diajukan GAPKI kepada pemerintah untuk
melakukan ekspansi sawit seluas duapuluh juta hektar lahan sawit,”
tegas Saurlin.
Saurlin juga mengatakan aksi tersebut merupakan puncak dari ranngkaian
kegiatan penolakan ekspansi sawit yang telah berlangsung selama tiga
hari. Seusai menggelar orasi di Kantor Gubsu, massa membubarkan diri.
Om-12/Om-24
http://harianorbit.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=244:ekspansi-perkebunan&catid=1:berita-korupsi-hangat&Itemid=50