23 Oct 1,003 Hectares of Forest Area Planted with Palm Oil Allegedly One of the Suppliers of Biofuel/Biodiesel Raw Materials
Written by: Agus Sutomo (Teraju Foundation)
06 October 2021
Biodiesel is one of the follow-up work programs launched by President Joko Widodo at this time, which was previously a program of the previous president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. For various reasons, evidence and data that are claimed to be good and promising make this Biofuel (BBN) program continue. The results of this biofuel are also called Biofuel or Biodiesel. From B5, now the development of this fuel has reached the level of B30.
We all know that the raw material for Biofuel/Biodiesel comes from palm fruit which is processed with special technology and methods so that it can be used as fuel. Until now, the government program has been able to produce B30, even in the long term it will produce up to B100, which means that the raw materials used are 100% of processed palm fruit, which is extraordinary. One of the goals is none other than to replace fossil fuels.
If the need for fossil fuels per day is around 1 million barrels. How much land area is needed now or in the future to produce fuel from palm oil? At least 15 million hectares of oil palm plantations are needed to produce 1 million barrels per day, which was conveyed by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources (ESDM) Arif Tarif to Commission VII DPR RI (23/11/2020). Meanwhile, LPEM UI estimates that 9.29 million hectares of new oil palm land are needed in 2025, which is equivalent to 70% of the total area of oil palm in 2019. Is your city 15 million hectares or 9.29 million hectares smaller? If it is true that this program will be implemented, then how much land area will be lost such as forest land, sources of clean water, raw materials for medicines, sources of animal protein, and biodiversity that previously existed on or in the soil content. Then, what about the fate of the people who live on it. Of course, this must be considered, especially since the government does not yet have a clean & clear biodiesel standard from human rights and environmental issues.
For the period 2017-2018, the government has determined the names of companies that supply B30 raw materials to Pertamina. Pertamina as a government company has the task of producing B30/Biodiesel. Production is carried out without clear standards to ensure that companies supplying raw materials for biofuel/biodiesel are free from problems or violations of Human Rights and the Environment. Due to the absence of regulations that support it, there are companies that supply raw materials that are indicated to have violated human rights and damaged the environment such as deforestation (deforestation), waste that pollutes rivers, clearing land by burning, flooding due to plantation management or land that is not good, etc.
One of the effects of the absence of supplier standards
This case began when the team from the Director-General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) on 22 September 2011, the Gakkum team found palm trees belonging to PT. Kaliau Mas Perkasa (KMP) Darmex Agro group, has entered the Gunung Melintang Natural Tourism Park area. From the findings of PT. KMP has cleared 1,003 hectares of forest for oil palm plantations. President Director of PT. KMP was named a suspect and was included in the People’s Wanted List (DPO) based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia Number 92K/Pid.Sus.LH/2017. Darmex Agro is known to have a Biofuel/biodiesel raw material processing company, which in 2017-2018 was later determined by the government along with 20 other companies to supply Biofuel raw materials through PT. Darmex Biofuels as much as 34,767-kilo liters.
Of course, this case must be a concern for the government, especially the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (ESDM) together with Aprobi and all relevant stakeholders to immediately make the eligibility standards and requirements for companies that supply biofuel raw materials. The existing cases do not only occur in the forestry sector or the environment, but also in the smallholder sector of the company’s plasma partners who have not received good and prosperous profit sharing. In fact, I have repeatedly said that there are plasma partner farmers who can share only enough to buy 5 packs of candy. Likewise for the workers of oil palm plantations who continue to get pressure for production and provide benefits for company owners and increase the coffers of state income. We just received information from a large oil palm plantation company that has been designated as a Vital State Asset in Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan, the company does not pay the workers’ daily wages (HK) for reasons of attendance not being recorded on the fingerprint automatic attendance machine. even though the workers are working. These cases often occur in almost all oil palm plantation companies in Kalimantan.
Recording the problems that hang in the palm oil plantation companies, some of which are suppliers of Biofuels raw materials, it is necessary to immediately conduct a thorough evaluation and the government must immediately issue standards/requirements from upstream to downstream suppliers of Biofuels/Biodiesel raw materials whose contents must be clean of all actions that lead to human rights violations and environmental damage. Then re-extend the moratorium on palm oil plantation permits by adding the aspect of oil palm plantation workers as one of the assessments.
Reference:
htps: //Asumsi.co/post/4865/butuh-lahan-seluas-pulau-jawa
htps://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/09/30/173919078/garap-hutan-lindung-jadi-kebun-kelapa-sawit-direktur-pt-kmp-ditangkap?page=all
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