Plantations

Down to Earth No 43, November 1999

Indonesia's prominent environmental organisation is taking court action against the President, ministers and other officials involved in the disastrous plan to convert over a million hectares of peat swamp forests in Central Kalimantan into rice-fields. Meanwhile, new, more ambitious plans for plantation development in the area could lead to much more devastation.

Down to Earth No. 42, August 1999

A long-running land dispute between oil palm plantation company PT London Sumatra and indigenous Dayak landowners has resulted in large-scale military and police repression in East Kalimantan.

Down to Earth No. 41, May 1999

Farmers, workers, indigenous peoples, fisherfolk, NGOs, students and academics are coming together to formulate people-centred, environmentally sound development strategies to replace the obsolete, bankrupt and abusive money-centred practices of the Suharto era.

Down to Earth No 40, February 1999

A number of factors are forcing the pace of reforms in forestry policy in Indonesia: many logging concessions have expired or will do so soon; the devastating 1997/8 forest fires; the corruption revealed in the aftermath of Suharto's resignation; the pressure for increased revenues from the forestry and plantation sectors from the economic crisis; loan conditions imposed by international donors; the ITTO's goal of sustainable logging by 20

Down to Earth No 40, February 1999

Indonesia's farmers are organising to challenge the powerful business conglomerates and the unequal distribution of agricultural land.

The fall of Suharto, the economic crisis and a desperate need to grow food have intensified the battle for farmland now being fought in many parts of Indonesia.

Down to Earth No. 39, November 1998

A World Bank report on the government's project to convert a million hectares of peat swamp forests into rice-lands reveals how appalling the situation on the ground is.

What comes out of the report is the project's total lack of planning and failure to anticipate the economic, social and environmental costs.

Down to Earth No. 38, August 1998

Just four months ago Bob Hasan was one of Indonesia's main power-brokers as President Suharto's right-hand man. But now that his benefactor and partner-in-greed has been forced out, Indonesia's top timber baron is being called to account.

Since the fall of Suharto, Bob Hasan's fortunes have been on the decline.