Civil society in Indonesia, Malaysia petition Europe on agrofuels

Plantation labour, Central Kalimantan. (Photo: (Photo:T.Keydel for Save Our Borneo)

Indonesian statement signed by 59 organisations calls for action on devastating impacts

September 10th, 2013

Statements from civil society organisations in Indonesia and Malaysia were sent to Members of the European Parliament yesterday, ahead of a crucial vote on agrofuels scheduled in Strasbourg tomorrow.

The Indonesian groups' petition, signed by WALHI, Sawit Watch, AMAN,  KpSHK, FWI and many other leading Indonesian civil society organisations, calls upon the European Parliament not to ignore the devastating impacts of biofuel production in producer countries such as Indonesia.

"The targets set by the biofuels policy will encourage massive and intensive expansion of largescale industrial monoculture plantations, such as oil palm, which are continuing to cause environmental, social and economic problems for millions of Indonesians."

The statement also draws attention to climate impacts of plantation development - especially when carbon-rich peatlands are drained - and points to the loss of food sovereignty for communities whose land is converted into oil palm plantations.

The organisations are calling on the EU to:

1. Not use biofuel derived from large-scale monoculture plantations
2. Not use biofuel that comes from clearing natural forests, peatlands, or mangrove forests
3. Not use biofuel derived from lands where companies are in conflict with indigenous peoples and local communities
4. Not use biofuel that comes from companies involved in human rights violations, including violations of workers' rights, women's rights, and where production process involve child labour
5. Reduce the consumption of palm oil and other biodiesels that are driving global palm oil demand, and immediately cease the use of palm oil for biofuel.

Go to the full Indonesian CSO statement.

The Malaysian civil society statement is also attached, below.

The Indonesian language version of the Indonesian CSO petition can be accessed on Sawit Watch's website here.