Defending Jokowi, Oil Palm Farmers Criticize Greenpeace: Do Not Spread False Data

JAKARTA, SAWIT INDONESIA – Greenpeace’s criticisms towards Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in the event of COP 26 in Glasgow, Monday (October 1, 2021) was considered crossing the line. Oil palm smallholders considered Greenpeace Indonesia has provided false data to the public regarding deforestation, forest fires, and renewable energy.

“The Indonesian government has been doing very well in paying attention to environmental, economic, and social balance. We have experienced it. Speaking of deforestation, Greenpeace should show the validity of the data in the past seven years. When it comes to land fires, it has been proven that land fire management in the last 3 years has been increasingly better. In fact, Germany, the United States, and Australia suffered from fires and floods frequently. Why does Greenpeace keep silent,” said Albert Yoku, an oil palm farmer from Papua.

He stressed that Greenpeace should not spread false data and hate. President Jokowi has conveyed data on the government’s achievements in regard to the decrease in deforestation rate and forest and land fire management.

“Meanwhile what data did Greenpeace GP use and what they have been doing all this time is only shouting and working based on projects by foreign donors. If you want to shout, it should start truthfully from yourself, be open to the public about where Greenpeace’s fund comes from this whole time, who finance them?” asked Albert, who is also the Chairman of DPW APKASINDO (Indonesian Oil Palm Farmers Association) of Papua Province.

He said the regulation in Indonesia requires a transparency of funding sources for NGOs including Greenpeace. As children of the nation, Greenpeace should be ashamed because they can only shout.

“Try and provide a solution for oil palm farmers in Papua who experience difficulties in rejuvenating the plants and developing the plantation. Help us improve the income of the community. We need to eat and send our children to school, for receiving healthcare, we, Papuans also have the right to live more prosperous with the resources of our nature,” he said.

Dr. Gulat Manurung, the Chairman of the DPP APKASINDO explained that the oil palm farmers appreciated the speech of President Jokowi in COP26 in Glasgow. Indonesia proved its ability to maintain the balance between the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. The proof is the world has turned around and accepted concepts of sustainability such as RAN KS (National Action Plan on Sustainable Oil Palm), the concept of intensification of oil palm through PSR, and increase in human resources of farmers and scholarships for the farmers’ children.

“Regions that often experience forest fires currently have reached near zero percent such as in Kalimantan and Sumatra. This success is due to the president’s firmness in the concept of prevention and action, and we all enjoy that,” said the fastest masters graduate from the Field of Environmental Science, University of Riau.

“All oil palm farmers in Indonesia in 145 DPD Regencies and Cities of APKASINDO from 22 DPW Provinces of APKASINDO are grateful because they can carry out activities without having to deal with smoke. Because fires can interrupt an optimal photosynthesis process of the plant,” Gulat said.

“Currently, oil palm farmers already enjoy the policies from President Jokowi, due to the soaring price of FFBs,” he explained.

Gulat expects environmental NGOs to not only criticize. Help the country ask the developed countries to fulfill their promise, such as Norway.” For farmers, trillions of grants from Norway can help oil palm farmers to subsidize fertilizers or even set up a fertilizer factory, now that would be great. If you only shout ‘you must’ anyone can do that,” he said.

He said Greenpeace must be honest in publishing their data.”Don’t do it by order, especially when the data is already in public domain. Because this issue will have an impact to the people who do not know the actual data.”

The New and Renewable Energy (EBT) Program is the kilometer zero of energy independence and all of the raw materials are in Indonesia. Moreover, the issuance of Job Creation Law in late 2020 has convinced the world more that Indonesia has raised its bar as the frontline guard of the balance of the said three aspects of dimensions, that’s why palm oil is “peace and green”,” Gulat said with smile.

Prof. Yanto Santosa in the YouTube channel Togar Podcast, said that NGOs are necessary as a counterweight. As long as it goes in line with intention, motive, and valid data. ”Therefore, the country must be sovereign, don’t be afraid of the pressure from the NGOs,” he said.

Previously, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asserted that the success of the climate control in Indonesia could be achieved because Indonesia put climate action in the context of sustainable development. Consideration on environmental aspects with the economic and social aspects should be integrated. The forestry and land sector in Indonesia will achieve Net Carbon Sink by 2030. That is Indonesia’s commitment to be a part of the solution. “Indonesia’s real achievement in the forestry sector cannot be denied.

This was conveyed by the president while being one of the speakers at the World Leaders Summit on Forest and Land Use, held at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday (02/11/2021).

In front of the world leaders, the president explained that the social forestry program was made for forest conservation alongside the creation of livelihoods for the local community. This is important, because 34 percent of all villages in Indonesia are located at the border area or in the forest area.
“Millions of people in Indonesia depend their lives on the forestry sector. Denying it is not only unrealistic, but also unsustainable,” he said.

President Jokowi said that 90 percent of the world population live in extreme poverty depending on forests. Misuse of the climate change issues as trade barriers is a big mistake. “It will erode the trust of the international cooperation to overcome climate change, and instead hinder sustainable development that is truly needed,” he added.

Therefore, President Jokowi assessed that the forest management in the framework of sustainable development to be the only option. Indonesia is ready to share experience and knowledge for it. “Let us conduct forest governance that is pro-environment, pro-development, and people-centered. This is the main goal of Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade Dialogue or FACT Dialogue, which is co-chaired together by Indonesia and the United Kingdom so that the forest will be a sustainable solution for a global climate action,” he encouraged.

In 2020, the rate of forest fires reduced down to 82 percent,” he revealed. In addition, in 2019, the emission reduction from forests and land use were pressed down to 40.9 percent compared to 2015. Deforestation in Indonesia also reached the lowest level in the last 20 years.

“This was done when last year, the world lost 12 percent of primary forest compared to the previous year and while many developed countries were experiencing the largest forest and land fire throughout history,” he explained.

 

Source : sawitindonesia.com