In September 2018, President Joko Widodo issued Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2018 on the Suspension and Evaluation of Palm Oil Plantation Licenses and Improvement of Palm Oil Plantations Productivity. For some, this policy is a good momentum to improve palm oil governance in Indonesia. Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2018 gives a mandate to the Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs to report the achievements and progress of the policy to the President every six months or whenever required. Civil Society Coalition consisting of Sawit Watch, Madani, ICEL, ELSAM, Kaoem Telapak, JPIK, Greenpeace Indonesia, FWI, Kemitraan, SPKS, Pusaka and KPSHK.....

Indonesia’s oil palm plantation currently covers 22.2 million ha (Sawit Watch, 2018) and 30% is owned by smallholders.1 Palm oil industry is a major contributor to the national economy, with crude palm oil (CPO) export reaching 12% of the national export and total production reaching 31 million tons in 2016. This export contribution is valued at USD 17.8 billion or IDR 231.4 trillion.2 Domestically, the Indonesian government is promoting palm oil for biodiesel and targeting CPO production to 40 million tons/year by 2020. In addition, oil palm plantations in Indonesia face a number of issues, from environmental degradation, agrarian conflict,.....

Palm oil is one of the prominent agriculture products in most part of Indonesia. Indonesia is the biggest palm oil producer in the world with production rate more than 30 million tons in 2015, though its production rate still below Malaysia. More than 70% of total production exported to international market that includes India, Europe, and China, and other 60 countries. In early 2017, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) set a target of producing 40 million tons of crude palm oil (CPO) by 20204. In the global market, palm oil is the favorite vegetable oil compared to other vegetable oils.....