25 Nov Have Palm Oil Plantations in West Kalimantan Implemented NDPE and SDGs?
No Deforestation, No Peat Development, and No Exploitation, since 2015 have become the policies of oil palm plantation companies around the world. Wilmar, SINARMAS/GAR, SIMEDARBY, FIRST RESOURCE (CAA), CARGIL, BUMITAMA, GUNAJAYA AGRO, FGV , LDC, and many more companies that implement NDPE policies. The NDPE policy applies not only to subsidiaries but also to their suppliers. Food management companies, cosmetics, and the like such as Uniliver, Mars, Nestle, and other brands also implement the NDPE policy with their application method as a condition for suppliers of raw materials derived from palm trees. However, has NDPE been consistently practiced by oil palm plantation companies, not only those mentioned above but also other oil palm plantation companies? Of course, this can be proven by the facts on the ground.
Oil palm plantation companies are PROHIBITED from clearing land by clearing forests, both on mineral soils and peat forests, and PROHIBITED from clearing land by burning. The Company is also PROHIBITED to violate Human Rights (HAM) in any form that leads to human exploitation.
The hope is that sustainable palm oil plantations do not cause damage that has an impact on humans and the environment and hope that the environment will be better and there will be an increase in the economic welfare of the community (indigenous/local people and workers).
Many companies are implementing Sustainable Development Goals, one of which is the NDPE policy. There are 4 pillars in the SDGs that cover 17 agenda points, including The Social Development Pillar includes points (1) No Poverty, (2) No Hunger, (3) Healthy and Prosperous Life, (4) Quality Education, (5) Equality Gender. Second, the pillars of Economic Development include (7) Clean and Affordable Energy, (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (9) Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, (10) Lack of Gap (17) Partnerships To Achieve Goals. Third, the Environmental Development Pillar includes points (6) Clean water and proper sanitation, (11) Cities and adequate settlements, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (13) Climate Change Management, (14) Marine Ecosystems, (15) terrestrial ecosystem. The purpose of the third pillar is the achievement of sustainable management of natural resources and the environment as a support for all life. Fourth, the Pillar of Law and Governance includes points (16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Of the 4 pillars, if then linked to the NDPE policy, which one is suitable and has been practiced and has achieved good results in the concessions of oil palm plantation companies. Have the good achievements come from companies that have been advocated for the policy, from the media, or from information from the public?
Investment in Indonesia aims to improve the welfare of the people so that the poverty rate can be reduced. That’s why the government is keen to open the door as wide as possible to invest in oil palm plantations. West Kalimantan is one of the provinces that is the prima donna for oil palm plantation investment, making it the second-largest province that has oil palm plantations.
As stated by the Governor of West Kalimantan when interviewed by the Katadata team on September 12, 2019, he stated that West Kalimantan is one of the largest producers of CPO (crude palm oil) in Indonesia. However, oil palm plantations in West Kalimantan have no direct impact on people’s welfare. The facts on the ground are in accordance with what was conveyed by the Governor, this condition is felt directly by indigenous/local communities, both those who partner with companies using the nucleus-plasma scheme, especially the exploitation of oil palm plantation workers, both from indigenous/local communities and those brought in by other parties. company or labor service provider. If the first pillar has not been realized or achieved then the second pillar on economic development will be difficult to achieve or materialize and poverty becomes a space for human exploitation.
On the environmental development pillar which is in line with the No Deforestation and No Peat Development policies, based on BPS data, West Kalimantan is one of the provinces with quite high deforestation cases. It was recorded that for 6 years from 2013 to 2019 there was deforestation of an area of 281,034.19 hectares. Then in the 2017-2018 period the deforestation that occurred in West Kalimantan was recorded at 42,291 and the 4th largest in Indonesia. If we pull back further and add up the total area of forest lost, from the period 2001 to 2020, West Kalimantan has recorded a loss of 57% of forest cover. The widest is in 4 districts, namely Ketapang, Sintang, Sanggau and Kapuas Hulu.
Report on deforestation in Indonesia 2017-2018 Director General of Forestry Planning and Environmental Management Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia.
One of the major causes of deforestation is also the burning of peatlands and peat forests which then have a negative impact on the health of many people. The smoke that is inhaled and enters the people’s lungs makes many of them women, pregnant women/mothers, infants, and toddlers suffer from ARI. From the monitoring of Nasa Firms Eodis Satellite from June 28 to July 6, 2015, there were 124 hotspots located in oil palm concessions, 81 hotspots in Kubu Raya Regency, 44 hotspots in Sambas Regency, and 36 hotspots in Ketapang Regency. In districts where deforestation and fires occur, there are oil palm plantation companies that are members of the RSPO, and hold ISPO certificates and have sustainability and NDPE policies. Although this company is not the perpetrator of deforestation and forest/peat burning, they still have an obligation to ensure that the area in their concession permit does not occur from deforestation, forest, and peat fires. This also applies to their suppliers.
Table of RSPO, ISPO, and NDPE member companies
Company Name / Group | Location (in West Kalimantan) |
| Wilmar | Sambas, Sanggau, Kubu Raya |
| Gama/KPN | Sambas, Bengkayang, Kubu Raya |
| Alas Kusuma | Kubu Raya (IFC & ISPO Standards) |
| IOI | Ketapang |
| Genting | Ketapang & Sanggau |
| Bumitama Gunajaya Agro | Ketapang |
| Simedarby | Ketapang |
| First Resources/CAA | Ketapang dan Sanggau |
| Sinarmas/GAR | Ketapang, Sanggau, Sintang dan Kapuas Hulu |
| Dharma Satya Nusantara | Sekadau, Sintang |
| Indofood | Sambas, Kapuas Hulu, Sintang, Sanggau |
Ecological disasters have also been felt, such as smog and flooding. The flood that occurred in 2021 became the worst flood to hit Ketapang, Sintang, Sekadau, Sanggau and Kapuas Hulu regencies. 3 years earlier, floods hit the districts of Sambas, Landak, Bengkayang, Ketapang and Kapuas Hulu. Floods do not only occur in urban areas but also occur in villages that are included in the concessions of oil palm plantation companies such as what happened in the concession of PT. SJM, PT. BPK, PT. AMLN, PT. SML and several other concessions.
Concession of one of the oil palm plantation companies in Ketapang.
Furthermore, the SDGs concerning clean water and proper sanitation, clean water, and proper sanitation in the concessions of oil palm plantation companies, especially for the camp for oil palm plantation workers tend to be concerned. The source of clean water comes from ditches/canals that are sucked directly by them, where the canals or ditches are connected to oil palm plantation canals and some are even mixed with waste disposal from factories. The camp building is in the form of a house whose walls are attached to other houses so that air circulation is also not feasible. The clean water consumed by the community is almost the same as that consumed by workers living in the camp. What is different is that people usually get clean water by making wells, or taking river water directly.
Furthermore, the pillars of law, one of which is justice. It is rather difficult for the community to get justice for the law. Agrarian conflicts in the oil palm plantation sector place indigenous/local communities and farmers as guilty parties, even if the community reports the seizure of agricultural land that is not handed over to the company, the process will take a long time and may even be ignored, but on the other hand, if the company reports the community, the process is very fast. The wages of oil palm plantation workers are below the UMP, the wages received are not enough to meet the needs of clothing, food, and family housing.
This forced some workers to harvest the fruit and sell it themselves, which was then considered theft and a crime and was reported to the police. During the legal process, he was not asked why he stole, how much the company paid for 1 working day (HK) but was immediately named a suspect based on a report from the oil palm plantation company. Even in the trial, because the worker stole because of low wages, it did not become a basis for acquittal. What can relieve usually only the defendant behaves well during the trial, pleads guilty, and does not repeat it again.
In contrast, when a company steals community land, does not pay wages according to the UMP/UMK that has been set, does not register workers with BPJS Health and Manpower, there is no legal action. Not to mention taking the rights of plasma partner farmers, when the FFB seller’s profit-sharing is only enough to buy candy. Justice has not been felt by indigenous/local communities, plasma partner farmers, and oil palm plantation workers. Transparent companies and the government remain the same, both are closed, the government in this case ATR/BPN has not disclosed the HGU data of oil palm plantation companies. Oil palm plantation companies are not transparent in sharing the results of their plasma partners, are not honest in collecting data on the loss of working time of workers that occur, and even exploit workers.
Let’s conclude
NDPE and SDGs still cannot reach social and environmental improvements. The hard work of the parties in implementing the NDPE policy must be further enhanced, especially for companies that implement a sustainable policy, to ensure that the NDPE policy can be implemented properly and obtain results that are in line with the SDGs.
Ecological disasters and social problems in the oil palm plantation sector are a big homework for the central government, regional governments as well as oil palm plantation companies. Now the ecological disaster has been felt for years, but the root of the problem is not trying to be solved and then solved. The same applies to social issues involving human rights, which are tainted and tainted by oligarchic interests, resulting in endless conflicts.
Law enforcement, which is believed to be able to improve governance in the oil palm plantation sector, is now just a heavenly wind. Because cases of violations of laws and regulations by oil palm plantation companies can be legalized which leads to the whitening of cases. It will be different if people are accused of being violators of laws and regulations, then the legal process will proceed as fast as using a motorbike with a 1000cc engine so that what happens is that the legal admiration is blunt above and below.
Have you aligned your NDPE and SDGs? At the level of ideas and concepts, they are in line and at the level of specific practice in the oil palm plantation sector, NDPE and SDGs are in line. Referring to the explanation above, it follows that there is no evidence of success in actual practice, both NDPE, and SDGs. As long as you remember, the line is reduced deforestation, less peat forest & peatland fires caused by international pressure, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Written by: Agus
Teraju Foundation
Download Bahasa Indonesia NDPE SDGs here
Sources:
https://Impactholic.com/news/detail/mengenal-4-pilar-sustainable-devolpment-goal-sdgs
https://kbr.id/nusantara/10-2020/pahlawan_agraria__antara_perjuangan_dan_penjara__2_/103730.html
https://www.mongabay.co.id/2021/10/31/dua-dekade-terakhir-kalimantan-barat-kehilangan-125-juta-hektar-hutan/ https://www.mongabay.co.id/2015/07/16/foto-kubu-raya-masih-langganan-kebakaran-lahan-di-kalbar/
Laporan deforestasi di Indonesia 2017-2018 Dirjen planologi kehutanan dan tata lingkungan kementrian lingkungan hidup dan kehutanan
https://perpustakaan.komnasham.go.id/opackomnas/index.php?p=show_detail&id=11930
Mulyadi
Posted at 00:46h, 30 NovemberVery Good