MIFEE

Indonesia's Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE) project is clearing land and destroying the traditional livelihoods of indigenous Malind and other groups in southern Papua.

Launched in August 2010, MIFEE involves the conversion of a vast area of land, including forests and peatlands, into plantations growing food, energy and other crops. Workers are expected to be brought to Merauke to meet the demand for labour. [more]

Map of Merauke showing investors' concessions

DTE 91-92, May 2012

In our special edition newsletter on Papua published in November 2011, DTE drew attention to the long and sorry history of top-down resource exploitation in Papua. Now, a whole raft of new development plans are being pushed through, under the government’s nation-wide effort to speed up development (MP3EI), launched last year. An additional layer of plans specifically for Papua is being promoted by UP4B, a special unit to speed up development in Papua.

DTE 89-90, November 2011, Special Papua edition

The following report, by independent researcher Anna Bolin,[1] explores the global trends and influences at work behind agriculture mega-projects like MIFEE in Papua.