Irsyan Hasyim (Kontributor) TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and The Tree Map provided satellite image evidence of the widespread deforestation driven by palm oil plantations in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is known as the last peat swamp forest in the western part of Sumatra that is still pristine and is also a habitat for around 1,500 or 10 percent of the remaining Sumatran orangutan population RAN and The Tree Map used the Pliades Neo satellite network from Airbus to capture the conditions of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from above The resulting images have ultra-high resolution (up to a scale of 30 centimeters) The data was then combined with a series of satellite images from TRipleSat (21 AT) since June 2016 and satellite images from Planet/NICFI since December 2020 Each is supported by image resolutions up to 80 centimeters and 5 meters they were able to measure the extent of current deforestation and track the scale of illegal palm oil plantations operating within the wildlife reserve According to David Gaveau from The Tree Map this is the first time that the satellite image series is detailed enough to capture individual oil palm trees the map reveals a complete picture of the crisis unfolding within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve "These satellite maps enable people to document violations that were previously overlooked by public satellite data providing unexpected clarity and transparency on this situation," he said as quoted from an article uploaded on Nusantara Blog on the Nusantara Atlas website Gaveau was contacted for reconfirmation on Tuesday The Airbus satellite imagery revealed the palm oil plantations in three stages of planting: plantations with closed canopies Planted in a triangular pattern with a spacing of 9 meters between each other the young oil palm trees have a canopy diameter of 0.5 to 3 meters making the surface of the cleared forest area visible as the plantation In the planting phase with closed canopies mature oil palm trees have a measured diameter of 7-10 meters with overlapping fronds creating a dense star-shaped canopy The age of the trees is estimated to be at least 4 years and in the production stage The semi-closed canopy phase represents a transitional phase with trees about 3 years old and canopy diameters of each tree ranging from 4-6 meters They begin to cover the ground surface and start production a technology company that owns the independent geoplatform Nusantara Atlas stated that 2,577 hectares of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve forest have been cleared since June 2016 1,915 hectares (74 percent) of which have disappeared although they have exceeded the European Union Deforestation Regulation deadline on 31 December 2020 The EUDR does not tolerate products that contribute to deforestation by banning them from entering the European market Satellite map showing peat swamp forest cover in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and deforestation occurring within it in June 2016 652 hectares of active oil palm plantations including 453 hectares that are already in production are located within the wildlife reserve," said Gaveau referred to the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve as one of the last remaining pristine ecosystems in the world she stated that the area has experienced deforestation at four times the rate between 2021 and 2023 "Our data shows that illegal cooking oil from Rawa Singkil has infiltrated the international supply chain threatening iconic species like the endangered orangutans," she said RAN's field investigation revealed that several popular products are made using this illegal cooking oil The companies absorbing crude palm oil supplies from the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve include Royal Golden Eagle Group (Apical) RAN's investigation also noted an increase in a new loophole in palm oil 'laundering,' where large land speculators hide behind oil palm farmers to carry out deforestation we documented the illegal operations of land speculators who can be identified with satellite imagery within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve," a separate statement from RAN in the article 'Orangutan Capital' Under Siege dated 10 November 2024 read In a written statement received by Tempo on Thursday Apical confirmed that they received crude palm oil or CPO supplies from PT Global Sawit Semesta (GSS) The results of RAN's field investigation showed that factories owned by GSS and also PT Aceh Trumon Anugerah Kita (PT ATAK) processed the CPOs from fresh fruit bunches some of which came from oil palm plantations in the Singkil Wildlife Reserve area Apical said it had immediately asked GSS to check on its supplier UD Iqbal Jaya (RAN's investigation revealed that the land speculator who owns UD Daya has a collection point for palm oil fresh fruit bunches in Le Meudama South Aceh) after receiving confirmation requests from RAN on October 22 and 24 GSS had immediately frozen the supply of oil palm fresh fruit bunches from the UD as of October 25 and refused all loads through the PT GSS weighbridge system until the results of the internal investigation were obtained “We will continue to monitor the actions taken by PT GSS to ensure its strict commitment to traceability and sustainable sourcing standards,” Apical stated the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is recognized to be increasingly under pressure As previously disclosed by the Aceh Forest and Environment Preservation Foundation (HAkA) to Tempo in July the conservation area within the Leuser Aceh Ecosystem is shrinking not only through legal land releases but also through illegal deforestation the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve was designated as 102,500 hectares according to the Minister of Forestry Decree Number 166 of 1998 the latest being Decree Number 6616 of 2021 its size was declared to be 82,188 hectares HAkA reported from its monitoring that from early 2019 to June this year the loss of forest cover in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve had reached 2,030 hectares equivalent to more than seven times the size of the Senayan GBK sports complex in Jakarta Deforestation in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve a wildlife reserve that should be the most sacred area for conservation and should be protected is instead shrinking every year," said Rubama from HAkA As one of the global biodiversity hotspots the peat swamp of Rawa Singkil is seen as crucial for climate stability This peat swamp stores a large amount of carbon in its soil Clearing and drying it is seen as risking releasing all that carbon into the atmosphere and turning the area into a new forest fire hotspot with severe consequences for the health of the local community along with LBH Banda Aceh and several other organizations have expressed doubts that the deforestation occurring is the work of the hands of residents of the 63 villages surrounding the wildlife reserve "Deforestation for palm oil plantations with neat canal construction and heavy equipment deployment in the area cannot be done by ordinary people," they said Upon receiving reports and evidence of deforestation in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve the Director General of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Environment He mentioned that the law enforcement operation has been ongoing for several months and suspects will be announced next week "We will elevate the status to investigation for the case of encroachment on the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Aceh," said Rasio at the Manggala Wanabakti Building in Jakarta Editor's Choice: Greenpeace: Indonesia's Forests Turned into Palm Oil Plantations Dramatically Increased in the Last 5 Years Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News Two Sumatran Tiger Cubs Born in Barumun Sanctuary, Symbolize Hope for Conservation Indonesia, France Forge Partnership for Sustainable Mining Practices Argentina Hit by Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake, Three Aftershocks Follow Indonesia's EV Ambitions Cause 26,837 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Iklan Kawasan Konservasi Rawa Singkil Aceh Kehilangan 1.324 Hektar Tutupan Hutan Saat ini deforestasi masih terus terjadi di kawasan konservasi Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil Sebagian lahan yang dirambah telah bersalin menjadi perkebunan sawit Audio Berita Oleh ZULKARNAINI · 3 menit baca TEKS KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINIKawasan konservasi gambut Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil di Kecamatan Trumon kawasan konservasi Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil di Kabupaten Aceh Selatan Perambahan kawasan lindung itu dilakukan sejumlah oknum untuk ditanami kelapa sawit Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA) mencatat setiap tahun Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil menyusut ratusan hektar HAkA memantau secara rutin kondisi tutupan hutan baik melalui satelit maupun verifikasi lapangan ”Dalam lima tahun terakhir sedikitnya telah kehilangan 1.324 hektar tutupan hutan,” kata Manager Geographic Information System Yayasan HAkA Lukmanul Hakim selama Juni 2023 terjadi penyusutan sekitar 66 hektar Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil diperkirakan mengalami kehilangan tutupan hutan seluas 372 hektar atau meningkat 57 persen dibandingkan periode yang sama pada tahun lalu Kawasan konservasi gambut Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil di Kecamatan Trumon Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil terletak di Kabupaten Aceh Selatan dan Kota Subulussalam dengan luas total 82.188 hektar Ini lebih luas dari keseluruhan wilayah Provinsi DKI Jakarta yang hanya 66.123 hektar hingga saat ini deforestasi masih terus terjadi di kawasan lindung itu Baca juga: Kawasan Konservasi Rawa Singkil Dirambah untuk Perkebunan Sawit penyusutan tutupan hutan di Rawa Singkil telah memicu bencana alam seperti banjir dan kekeringan Hutan Rawa Singkil merupakan habitat alami orangutan dan satwa lainnya dapat timbul konflik antara satwa dan manusia emisi karbon yang dilepas dari rawa gambut ini jauh lebih besar dibanding hutan di lahan mineral Hal ini dapat memicu percepatan pemanasan global yang lebih ekstrem Hasil investigasi Forum Jurnalis Lingkungan (FJL) Aceh pada Maret hingga Mei 2023 menemukan aktivitas perambahan di Rawa Singkil masih terus terjadi Pembukaan lahan dengan cara dibakar dan menggunakan alat berat belum terbendung Hasil investigasi itu dirangkum dalam sebuah film dokumenter dengan judul Demi Sawit Film berdurasi 30 menit itu diputar di Jakarta yang dihadiri oleh jurnalis dan pekerja konservasi Baca juga: Menjaga Lahan Gambut Rawa Tripa yang Tersisa Koordinator FJL Aceh Munandar Syamsuddin mengatakan hutan gambut Rawa Singkil dirambah untuk ditanami kelapa sawit Dia menyebut para pelaku melibatkan aparatur desa hingga aparat keamanan ”Kawasan suaka margasatwa itu dijual ke pemodal untuk dijadikan perkebunan sawit,” kata Munandar Tim investigasi FJL Aceh menemukan bahwa para pemodal juga mendanai warga untuk membuka lahan dan menanami sawit di kawasan itu Kepala Divisi Advokasi dan Kampanye Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) Aceh Afifuddin Acal mengatakan Rawa Singkil masih bermasalah dengan tapal batas sehingga masih rawan untuk dirambah Afifuddin juga menilai penegakan hukum belum tegas dan hanya menyasar warga biasa sedangkan oknum pejabat dan aparat keamanan yang terlibat tidak ditindak ”Banyak yang bermain di Rawa Singkil,” katanya Pengendali Ekosistem Hutan Muda Direktorat Perencanaan Kawasan Konservasi Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK) Taufik Syamsudin mengatakan pihaknya akan terus berupaya menyelesaikan permasalahan yang terjadi di kawasan Rawa Singkil pemerintah telah membentuk satuan tugas khusus untuk menyelesaikan masalah perkebunan sawit ilegal di dalam kawasan konservasi KLHK juga akan menurunkan tim untuk memverifikasi mana kluster sawit korporasi dan masyarakat Kawasan Gambut Rawa Tripa di Kecamatan Darul Makmur ”Kami belum dapat laporan resmi dari teman-teman KSDAE Aceh terkait siapa saja yang ada di kawasan SM Rawa Singkil,” kata Taufik pihaknya perlu mengetahui siapa saja pihak yang terlibat di Rawa Singkil agar mudah menyelesaikan permasalahannya ”Yakinlah pemerintah akan hadir di situ menyelesaikannya Baca juga: Menanti Eksekusi Lelang Aset atas Kebakaran di Rawa Tripa brands and palm oil traders for their failure to enforce their No deforestation commitments even after years of repeatedly being presented evidence of their exposure to the destruction RAN’s report called on all brands and traders to stop sourcing illegal palm oil produced within the protected wildlife reserve and to invest in multi stakeholder programs in the province of Aceh and the wider Singkil-Bengkung Trumon region that take immediate actions to address the crisis in this globally important hotspot for biodiversity and carbon sequestration There are some positive developments underway but it is too early to say if these actions will finally result in an end to illegal deforestation and destruction of carbon rich peat forests that continues to occur at a worrying rate within the protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and encouraging public responses have been issued by brands and traders exposed in the report are the actions taken by global brands–– and the agribusiness traders they source from–– enough to stop palm oil expansion in its tracks or will Conflict Palm Oil continue being used to manufacture products making their way into our homes Satellite images of Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from 2016 and 2024 clearly show massive illegal deforestation spreading into the interior of the reserve COMPANY RESPONSES TO THE ORANGUTAN CAPITAL DEFORESTATION SCANDAL Procter and Gamble responded to the report with an announcement of a suspension of sourcing from PT ATAK) ––the two mills involved in the scandal In order for these suspensions to be enforced their suppliers need to stop sourcing from the mills exposed in our report Nestlé responded to the press claiming they will investigate our findings but has not yet announced a suspension of the two mills involved in the scandal Mondelēz and Nissin Foods have all failed to respond publicly despite being exposed for sourcing illegally produced palm oil from their suppliers and Mondelēz all lack a public grievance list that discloses the actions they are taking in response to their suppliers violations of their No Deforestation and consumer brands to put an end to illegal deforestation in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve’ This is a positive development that should be followed by its peers that were also exposed––the Royal Golden Eagle Group and Permata Hijau Group Permata Hijau Group also issued a response but has failed to suspend either mill the company states it has asked its supplier––PT Able Commodities Indonesia––to engage with PT Permata Hijau has no substantial investments in programs in Aceh that aim to protect the threatened forests of the Leuser Ecosystem nor has it committed to investing in the establishment of new programs to address the crisis exposed in RAN’s report Wilmar and Golden Agri Resources are two of the world’s largest palm oil producers and traders and both remain at risk of sourcing illegal palm oil from within the reserve from their network of mills in the region Both have failed to issue a public response to the report PT. GSS issued denials claiming that it is not sourcing from the broker UD Daya shown to be sourcing illegal palm in case 1 in the report PT. ATAK has made a suite of commitments to clear up its act and a condition of remaining a supplier to Permata Hijau Group. This is the second time it has done so after being exposed as a new mill that lacked adequate traceability monitoring and compliance systems to ensure it was not souring illegal palm oil from the reserve ATAK states it will require its suppliers to stop sourcing from illegal plantations mentioned in our report and others located within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve It has ‘reenforced’ its commitment to not source from plantations involved in deforestation since 2016 or located within the reserve and states it will hold supplier workshops establish a grievance handling team and deforestation monitoring system to monitor their supply shed and develop a response protocol to address any instances of non-compliance by suppliers Despite media attention all banks named in the report––Singapore’s DBS and OCBC; French Bank BNP Paribas;  Malaysian banks Maybank and CIMB; Japanese bank MUFG citing client confidentiality or did not respond The primary rainforest habitat and carbon-rich peatlands protected within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve are some of the highest priority forests for conservation on earth Yet a lack of enforcement of No Deforestation effective monitoring and due diligence systems and investment by household name brands is allowing for a death by a thousand cuts that is now quickly There is simply no more time for half measures and unfulfilled promises More action is clearly needed to stop illegal palm oil tainting global supply chains and to stop the deforestation crisis in the Orangutan Capital of the World While many of the responses and new commitments resulting from RAN’s latest investigation are encouraging and offer steps in the right direction the reality is that piecemeal actions suspending individual actors will not by itself solve the underlying systemic problems this report brings to light What is urgently needed is genuine commitments to close the loopholes identified and to address these failures in a sustained transparent manner that includes full traceability to the plantation level and true accountability for all suppliers RAN will continue to monitor the situation and work with all parties to seek solutions that address the crisis unfolding in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The Leuser Ecosystem is a spectacular expanse of rare intact rainforest that is the only place left on Earth where tigers elephants and rhinos live together in the wild RAN and our allies are fighting hard to stop the destruction of this globally important landscape and to protect the millions of people who depend on it. This is a watchdog site for alerts about regional breaches of the Indonesian government moratorium on forest destruction for palm oil as well as a clearinghouse for news on select Leuser-related conservation developments.Learn more about the Leuser Ecosystem Mailing AddressPO Box 3563Seattle WA 98124-3563 tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation (tax ID number 94-3045180) JAKARTA — Illegal deforestation has reportedly surged to record levels in a wildlife reserve at the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island that’s known as the “orangutan capital of the world.” A newly published report by U.S.-based NGO Rainforest Action Network (RAN) says 2,577 hectares (6,368 acres) of forests in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve have been cleared since 2015 with deforestation spiking dramatically between 2021 and 2023 RAN said these rates of deforestation are unprecedented over the last decade that it’s been monitoring the region And since it occurred after the cutoff date for eligibility for an important “no deforestation” framework it raises concerns about both deforestation-free commitments and the efficacy of global conservation efforts Palm oil from trees grown on this illegally deforested land risks entering the supply chains of major consumer brands like Procter & Gamble Some of the brands and palm oil traders have acted in response to the report including by suspending sourcing from illegal plantations and launching investigations into the matter But observers question whether these actions are enough to halt illegal deforestation in the wildlife reserve Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is part of the Leuser Ecosystem a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the last refuges for Sumatra’s endemic and critically endangered orangutans (Pongo abelii) rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) It’s particularly notable for having the densest population of Sumatran orangutans anywhere on the island Its carbon-rich peatlands are also vital for global climate stability storing immense amounts of greenhouse gases the ongoing deforestation has reduced the reserve’s size by more than a fifth since 2014 Deforestation surged sharply after December 2020 That’s a key cutoff date for the European Union’s antideforestation regulation or EUDR; when it comes into force at the end of this year the EUDR will require that imports into the EU of certain commodities do not originate from land deforested after Dec deforestation rates in Rawa Singkil quadrupled raising the prospect that palm oil produced from the newly cleared land will be barred from the European market These findings indicate that the no-deforestation commitments by palm oil companies operating in the area aren’t strong enough to protect the wildlife reserve from being deforested for the commodity timely satellite images — detailed enough to capture individual palm trees even young saplings — expose the full scale of the palm oil crisis in this protected wildlife reserve,” he said violations previously missed by free satellite data can now be documented.” Investigations by RAN indicate that the deforestation within the reserve is driven by local elites The former tend to be locally influential individuals who wield power and have access to the funding needed for heavy machinery to clear large swaths of forest for oil palm plantations RAN’s investigation also revealed that some of these elites act as land speculators or sales agents by selling titles to plots inside Singkil Wildlife Reserve to outside parties That means consumers might be unknowingly consuming products made with illegal palm oil linked to deforestation in Rawa Singkil Lay’s and CupNoodles are being exposed to illegal palm oil in their supply chains and we have the receipts to prove it,” she said are also complicit in the destruction of the biodiversity haven in Rawa Singkil through their funding of traders that are exposed to the illegal palm oil “The ongoing destruction of one of the world’s most critical ecosystems is a wake-up call for brands The deforestation has also raised concerns that the borders of Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve will be shrunk to excise the degraded areas Indonesia’s forestry ministry reduced the size of protected area in Rawa Singkil from 102,400 hectares to approximately 80,000 hectares (253,000 to 198,000 acres) RAN said it’s concerned the same thing will happen again now that more forest has had been converted to illegal plantations requested the forestry ministry to downgrade the status of 47,238 hectares (116,728 acres) of forest land in the district to nonforest which would allow them to be cleared for plantations Some brands have announced actions in response to RAN’s findings Procter & Gamble said it had suspended sourcing from the implicated mills while Nestlé pledged to investigate the allegations; it hasn’t announced any suspensions to date Unilever had previously suspended sourcing from GSS but hasn’t added ATAK to its no-buy list Mondelēz and Nissin Foods haven’t publicly responded to the report “So we haven’t received adequate responses from most of the brands with Procter & Gamble being one that’s quite immediate with the announcement of suspension,” Tillack said Among the traders, Musim Mas and the Royal Golden Eagle group, via its palm oil arm Apical, have suspended sourcing from GSS. Permata Hijau has requested its supplier to engage with GSS but hasn’t suspended sourcing from either mill Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) said it hasn’t sourced from GSS since 2019 but acknowledged risks of indirect sourcing through neighboring mills GAR said it has engaged with GSS’s neighboring supplier mills and is monitoring their compliance through its traceability system adding that it has achieved full traceability for 99% of its supply chain as of the end of 2023 But Tillack questioned the accuracy of GAR’s traceability system “We have repeatedly found that the traceability claims made by the traders and their suppliers are not accurate,” she said “This is why we have called for independent verification of the traceability systems GAR and others continue to refuse to undertake third party verification of their suppliers’ traceability systems They rely on second-party traceability programs.” GAR said it has taken steps to ensure the data in its traceability system is accurate and reliable which includes remote sensing and performing regular in-person inspections and site visits to validate the data To mitigate the risk of sourcing illegal palm oil, GAR said it’s also using a reporting tool called the No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation Implementation Reporting Framework (NDPE IRF) which helps companies understand and track progress on their no-deforestation commitments But the use of the NDPE IRF is problematic because the tool is based on self-reported data from suppliers Singapore-based Wilmar International is also at risk of potentially sourcing illegal oil palm from within the wildlife reserve given the proximity of its operations to the area even when it doesn’t source directly from the implicated mills it conducts field visits to verify concerns or allegations for suppliers identified as high risk It said it also engages with suppliers through webinars workshops and initiatives like the Leuser Supplier Reporting Tool (LSRT) to assess and address sourcing risks all our direct suppliers operating within a 50km [30-mile] radius from the Leuser ecosystem have confirmed that they are not sourcing from the identified high-risk companies,” Wilmar said in an email to Mongabay RAN said addressing the crisis requires more than suspensions or isolated actions A landscape-level intervention is essential given the interconnected challenges in the Leuser Ecosystem which spans a vast area and involves multiple stakeholders Musim Mas is the only trader with a dedicated landscape strategy for the entire Aceh province, according to RAN. Its five-year program focuses on implementing no-deforestation policies In response to RAN’s latest findings, Musim Mas has issued a new commitment to invest in future landscape programs a first among the traders named in the report Other traders, like Apical have implemented smaller-scale landscape programs that are limited to certain districts Others like GAR and Wilmar are exploring landscape approaches with the former saying it’s in discussions to contribute to the Sustainable Trade Initiative’s landscape program for Aceh province Wilmar said it’s in discussions with various stakeholders to implement a landscape program in the southern Aceh region But it hasn’t issued any public statement on this specific program That leaves Musim Mas as the only palm oil trader with a dedicated landscape strategy for the entire province And none have announced commitments to join collective efforts in tackling the deforestation in Rawa Singkil RAN called on the other traders to follow Musim Mas’s example saying that halting deforestation in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve requires more than isolated actions “[T]he reality is that piecemeal actions suspending individual actors will not by itself solve the underlying systemic problems this report brings to light,” RAN said local governments and communities need to work together to address the issues at a landscape level including by investing in full traceability systems and addressing any gaps in their current no-deforestation commitments “It really needs coordinated effort to address the crisis given the increasing rate of deforestation,” Tillack said “We really need to see that joint coordinated effort to put an end to illegal deforestation.” Banner image: Sumatran orangutan in the Leuser Ecosystem FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] Hutan Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil merupakan hutan rawa gambut tersisa di Provinsi Aceh Dalam Keputusan Menteri Kehutanan Nomor 166/Kpts-II/1998 disebutkan hutan yang terletak di Kabupaten Aceh Selatan dan Subulussalam ini luasnya mencapai 102.500 hektar Menteri Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan mengeluarkan Surat Keputusan Nomor 103/MenLHK-II/2015 dengan mengurangi luasannya menjadi 81.338 hektar sebagian arealnya telah menjadi perkebunan dan keputusan ini berdasarkan permintaan berbagai pihak berdasarkan SK Nomor: 859/MenLKH/Sekjen PLA/11/2016 luas Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil ditetapkan menjadi 81.802,22 hektar Meski luas hutan konservasi ini telah dikurangi hingga 20 ribu hektar terkait perambahan tim BKSDA di Aceh Selatan belum bisa melakukan banyak hal Masyarakat setempat terus melakukan perlawanan “Kami tidak bisa melakukan apapun jika tidak ada dukungan kepolisian Kami diusir tiap kali melakukan patroli kawasan Baca: Selamat Tinggal Sawit Ilegal di Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil  Wirli   menjelaskan pernah bersurat ke salah satu kepala dinas di Kabupaten Aceh Selatan perambahan masih terjadi dan belum ada solusi untuk menyikapi persoalan ini,” ujarnya Beberapa pekerja yang ditemui di lokasi perambahan atau di kebun sawit mengatakan pemilik tanah di SM Rawa Singkil ada yang merupakan pejabat di kabupaten maupun pengusaha “Kebun di sini banyak dimiliki pejabat dan pengusaha dari luar kecamatan Mereka datang membeli lahan yang dirambah masyarakat ada beberapa orang yang memiliki lahan lebih dari 50 hektar di dalam SM Rawa Singkil,” ujar Hamdani Berdasarkan data Geographic Information System (GIS) Yayasan Hutan luas tutupan hutan SM Rawa Singkil pada 2016 sekitar 77.227 hektar menunjukkan angka 76.707 hektar atau hilang sebanyak 5.095 hektar Polres Aceh Selatan menangkap empat pelaku pembakar hutan dan lahan seluas 20 hektar di Gampong (desa) Ie Meudama Pembukaan lahan dengan cara membakar tersebut dilakukan di dalam kawasan SM Rawa Singkil pada pertengahan Februari 2018 empat pelaku yang ditangkap adalah MA (49) dan AD (30) warga Desa Sigleng “Berdasarkan hasil pengambilan titik koordinat melalui GPS petugas BKSDA mendapati lahan yang terbakar seluas 20 hektar lebih itu jelas masuk kawasan Suaka Marga Satwa Rawa Singkil,” Dedy Sadsono para tersangka dijerat UU RI Nomor 32 tahun 2009 tentang Perlindungan dan Pengelolaan Lingkungan Hidup dan UU Nomor 5 tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya penjara maksimal 10 tahun dan denda paling banyak Rp200 juta Terkait hukuman untuk pelaku perambah SM Rawa Singkil Pengadilan Negeri (PN) Tapaktuan telah menjatuhkan hukuman untuk Teuku Popon Rizal satu bulan enam hari penjara ditambah denda Rp20 juta Anak Ketua Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Kabupaten (DPRK) Aceh Selatan itu yang menyebabkan kerusakan kawasan suaka alam tersebut menurut Sekretaris Yayasan Hutan Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HaKA) Badrul Irfan vonis yang diberikan terlalu rendah dan terkesan kejahatan lingkungan bukan perkara besar dampaknya terlihat pada semua lini kehidupan masyarakat ketika hutan rusak parah “Kejahatan lingkungan tidak jauh berbeda dengan kasus korupsi dan kejahatan lainnya yang akan berpengaruh pada masyarakat ini menjadi pertimbangan jaksa penuntut umum saat melakukan penuntutan termasuk saat majelis hakim mengeluarkan putusan kedepannya hukuman lebih berat diberikan untuk memberikan efek jera,” terangnya Baca juga: Perambah SM Rawa Singkil Divonis Sebulan Penjara, Aktivis: Vonis Terlalu Rendah Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil yang paling parah kondisinya ada di Kabupaten Aceh Selatan “Sosialisasi ke masyarakat untuk tidak melakukan perambahan beserta upaya penegakan hukum terus kami lakukan,” terangnya BKSDA Aceh didukung USAID Lestari telah melaksanakan Konsultasi Publik Rancangan Blok dan Lokakarya Pengelolaan Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil dalam kegiatan yang dihadiri oleh kepala desa dan tokoh masyarakat sekitar SM Rawa Singkil itu masyarakat masih tetap menginginkan lahan-lahan yang telah dibuka itu dikeluarkan dari wilayah SM Rawa Singkil   Facebook   Twitter   Instagram   RSS / XML Mary Dixon+1 (347) 840-1242mdixon@wcs.org Stephen Sautner T: +1 (718) 220-3682C: +1 (908) 247-2585 ssautner@wcs.org John DelaneyT: +1 (718) 220-3275 C: +1 (347) 675-2294 jdelaney@wcs.org Steve FairchildT: +1 (914) 263-8179sfairchild@wcs.org Nat MossT: +1 (718) 741-1897 C: +1 (917) 922-4670 nmoss@wcs.org Max PulsinelliT: +1 (718) 220-5182 C: + (571) 218-7601 mpulsinelli@wcs.org Scott Smith T: +1 (718) 220-3698 C: +1 (718) 220-3698 ssmith@wcs.org Jackie D'Agostino T: +1 (845) 661-9830 C: +1 (845) 661-9830 jdagostino@wcs.org Meghan Gabel+1 (617) 633-8660mgabel@wcs.org Chip WeiskottenT: +1 (202) 347-0672 x8172cweiskotten@wcs.org MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and influential networks building a more just MacArthur is placing a few big bets that truly significant progress is possible on some of the world’s most pressing social challenges and significantly increasing capital for the social sector In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program the Foundation continues its historic commitments to the role of journalism in a responsible and responsive democracy; the strength and vitality of our headquarters city Chicago; and generating new knowledge about critical issues the ultimate online destination for animal lovers and pet owners; the Animal Planet Go app that allows viewers to catch up on full episodes of their favorite shows anytime anywhere; Animal Planet L!VE the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock unfiltered access via live cameras around the globe in a variety of animal habitats; Animal Planet Social including Facebook Twitter and Instagram via @AnimalPlanet and on Snapchat as AnimalPlanetTV The Mission of ACE is to honor and appreciate a legacy of conservation through recognition of men and women who share their passion to conserve the great outdoors and have made extraordinary contributions to the sustainability of nature and wildlife The Award will recognize a conservationist’s long-term commitment to making our planet a better place and empower people in both local and international communities to advance wildlife conservation Founded in 2012, Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS) is a dedicated non-profit organization based in Denver committed to safeguarding the world’s most vulnerable species and ecosystems We leverage innovative technology and expertise to monitor and help preserve biodiversity across more than 200 locations globally Our mission is to build and deploy practical technology for the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems globally. At WPS we understand that the challenges facing wildlife and ecosystems are complex and require smart Our team works tirelessly to develop and deploy wpsWatch a monitoring tool featuring artificial intelligence workflow and integration tools to facilitate the protection of wildlife and their habitats and an EarthRanger implementation provider we help our field collaborators turn field information into actionable insights enabling them to make data-driven decisions to protect endangered species and their environments and drive innovation in the field of wildlife protection 2024 -- The Walmart Foundation has provided the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) a four-year grant that will significantly boost its work in Indonesia The grant will support a landscape initiative in southern Aceh Province: a key region for forests and biodiversity and for smallholder farming communities The grant will enable WCS to support the Government of Indonesia in protecting and restoring this valuable forest and peatland landscape and improving the livelihoods of rural communities living at the forest edge Aceh Province has 3.5 million hectares of forest which play a key role for biodiversity and in mitigating climate change but are threatened by the expansion of agricultural and industrial activities communities bordering important forest areas often experience poverty and have limited options for sustainable livelihoods These challenges play out in southern Aceh where the province’s last remaining intact peatland ecosystem—Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve—meets Gunung Leuser National Park which makes up part of Southeast Asia’s largest intact rainforest This area is also the only place where Sumatran elephant and rhino co-exist in the wild.   the grant will enable WCS to strengthen support for the government and a multi-stakeholder collaboration to translate national and provincial plans and conservation targets to the local level supporting livelihoods and ecosystem integrity at scale,” said Joe Walston “We are grateful for the Walmart Foundation’s commitment to help advance an inclusive multi-stakeholder platform for the landscape ensuring the most vulnerable are part of developing sound management plans for the region.” Field-based ‘SMART’ patrols and conservation area management plans will enhance the protection of key areas including the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and other management units that serve as crucial habitat and wildlife corridors for endangered species Capacity building with 500 smallholder oil palm farmers will improve on-farm productivity and along with broader community engagement and support for Forest Farmer Groups will help to foster improved and more sustainable livelihoods and reduce encroachment pressures facing the forest Walmart Foundation: “The rainforests and peatland ecosystems of southern Aceh are critically important for wildlife These are critical contributors to our global ecosystem and supply chain and we look forward to seeing how this work helps advance a more sustainable and inclusive landscape approach in the region We’ve made a commitment to help protect or more sustainable manage at least 50 million acres of land by 2030—and the conservation efforts catalyzed by this work can act as an important contributor.” Antara Petir Garda Bhwana Jakarta - Two of the four green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) rescued from hunters on June 29 were released into the waters of Banyak Island in Aceh Singkil The protected sea turtles were released by personnel from the Aceh Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) Barata stated that the other two green sea turtles had been freed into their habitat on July 3 and 9 the Aceh Singkil police and the search and rescue agency arrested a man and his son from Nias Utara in North Sumatra for catching six green sea turtles in the waters around Palambak Island Two of the six sea turtles were found dead on the suspects' boat adding that the remaining turtles were released after veterinarians confirmed they were healthy "We take pride in the fact that Banyak Island is home to various marine turtles," Barata said "It is our responsibility to preserve them for future generations." The Indonesian archipelago is home to several iconic species The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia reports that six of the seven living species of sea turtles recognized by scientists can be found in the country According to WWF Indonesia's official website four of these six species—green turtles leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea)—lay their eggs in several coastal areas of the country Indonesia's waters are also the most crucial migratory route for sea turtles at the crossroads of the Pacific and Indian oceans are known as the largest nesting spots for leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific region The Derawan Islands in East Kalimantan have been recorded by WWF Indonesia as the largest nesting spot for green sea turtles in Southeast Asia is also known as a green sea turtle nesting site Editor's Choice: Stranded Giant Leatherback Turtle in Kupang Beach Rescued 6 Exotic Tourist Attractions in Sabang to Celebrate Eid Holiday Indonesian Navy Member Becomes Suspect in Shooting of North Aceh Resident Police Still Pursuing 28 Escaped Inmates from Aceh's Kutacane Prison Chronology of the Escape of 51 Inmates from Aceh's Kutacane Prison Police Secure Aceh's Kutacane Prison After Escape of Over 50 Inmates Cari English The Aceh Singkil Swamp Conservation Area Lost 1,324 Hectares of Forest Cover TEKS › English›The Aceh Singkil Swamp.. Iklan The Aceh Singkil Swamp Conservation Area Lost 1,324 Hectares of Forest Cover Currently deforestation is still occurring in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve conservation area Part of the encroached land has turned into an oil palm plantation Audio Berita This article has been translated using AI. See Original Please note that this article was automatically translated using Microsoft Azure AI, Open AI, and Google Translation AI. We cannot ensure that the entire content is translated accurately. If you spot any errors or inconsistencies, contact us at hotline@kompas.id and we'll make every effort to address them TEKS The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI The peat conservation area of Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil in Trumon District the Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil conservation area in South Aceh Regency Encroachment of the protected area was carried out by certain individuals to plant oil palms The Aceh Natural Forest and Environment Foundation (HAkA) records that every year the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Sanctuary shrinks by hundreds of hectares HAkA regularly monitors the condition of forest cover both through satellite and field verification we have lost at least 1,324 hectares of forest cover," said Geographic Information System Manager of the HAkA Foundation Lukmanul explained that there was a decrease of approximately 66 hectares during June 2023 the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Sanctuary is estimated to have lost forest cover of 372 hectares or increased by 57 percent compared to the same period last year The peatland conservation area of Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil in Trumon District Rawa Singkil Wildlife Sanctuary is located in South Aceh Regency and Subulussalam City with a total area of 82,188 hectares This is larger than the entire area of DKI Jakarta Province Lukmanul stated that deforestation is still ongoing in the protected area until now Some of the cleared land has been turned into palm oil plantations Read also: Swamp Singkil Conservation Area Encroached for Palm Oil Plantation the depletion of forest cover in Rawa Singkil has triggered natural disasters such as floods and droughts Rawa Singkil Forest is a natural habitat for orangutans and other wildlife conflicts between animals and humans may arise Lukmanul added that on a more global scale the carbon emissions released from peatland are much greater than those from forests on mineral land This can trigger an acceleration of more extreme global warming The results of the investigation by the Environmental Journalists Forum (FJL) Aceh from March to May 2023 found that encroachment activities in Rawa Singkil are still ongoing Land clearing by burning and using heavy equipment has not been contained The results of the investigation were summarized in a documentary film entitled For the Sake of Palm Oil The 30-minute film was screened in Jakarta which was attended by journalists and conservation workers Read also: Conserving the Remaining Tripa Swamp Peatlands Coordinator of the Forest Justice League (FJL) in Aceh stated that the peatland forest in Rawa Singkil was cleared for oil palm plantation He mentioned that the perpetrators involved village officials and security forces "The wildlife sanctuary area was sold to investors to become an oil palm plantation," said Munandar The FJL Aceh investigative team found that investors also funded residents to open land and plant palm oil in the area The Head of Advocacy and Campaign Division of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) Aceh said that Rawa Singkil still has boundary issues Afifuddin also assessed that law enforcement has not been firm and only targets ordinary citizens whereas officials and security personnel involved are not held accountable "Many are playing in Rawa Singkil," he said The Ecosystem Controller of Young Forest at the Directorate of Conservation Area Planning of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry stated that his party will continue to work towards resolving the issues that occur in the Rawa Singkil area They said that the government has formed a special task force to address the issue of illegal palm oil plantations within conservation areas The Ministry of Environment and Forestry will also deploy a team to verify which clusters are operated by corporate and local community palm oil plantations The resolution for local community palm oil plantations will be handled differently The peat swamp forest area of Rawa Tripa in Darul Makmur Subdistrict "We have not received an official report from our colleagues at KSDAE Aceh regarding who is present in the SM Rawa Singkil area," said Taufik they need to know who all parties involved in Rawa Singkil are in order to easily resolve the problem "Have confidence that the government will be present there to resolve it Read also: Waiting for Execution of Asset Auction for Fire in Tripa Swamp While Indonesia’s national primary forest loss rates have fallen considerably since its peak in 2014,  deforestation for oil palm spiked in 2023 and remains a leading driver of deforestation in some of Indonesia’s most biodiverse landscapes This includes the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve part of the wider Leuser Ecosystem known as the “Orangutan capital of the world” RAN investigations over the last decade have consistently shown how traders with RSPO-certified operations including Apical (Royal Golden Eagle Group) are exposed to palm suppliers that are clearing peat forests and producing oil palm illegally inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and compliance systems remain demonstrably inadequate as they have been repeatedly exposed for sourcing palm oil produced illegally within the reserve In July 2024, RAN commissioned satellites of Pléiades Neo to fly above the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and capture high resolution images documenting the extent of illegal deforestation within the ‘orangutan capital of the world.’ These images provide unprecedented detail allowing us to map the mosaic of illegal deforestation and oil palm production in the reserve and estimate the age of individual oil palms to determine when the clearance and planting occurred deforestation was found to have increased inside the reserve after the adoption of ‘no-deforestation’ cut-off dates reveals 2,577 hectares (6,368 acres) of deforestation inside the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve since the December 2015 deforestation cut-off date adopted by the palm oil sector and major brands it shows that the highest levels of deforestation occurred after the EUDR cut-off date of December 31 The scale of the destruction is shown in the high resolution imagery below: RAN has now published the imagery and results on Nusantara Atlas––a publicly available monitoring platform This is the first time that high-resolution imagery of this level has been published showing the extent of the palm oil-driven crisis in this protected wildlife reserve we could determine the extent of illegal palm oil planted within the reserve and when the lands they were grown on were cleared A total of 653 hectares (1,613 acres) of illegal palm oil plantations were identified inside the protected reserve Four hundred fifty-three hectares (1,117 acres) of these illegal palm oil plantations have a closed canopy and can be considered ‘productive,’ which takes three to four years after planting Palm oil fruit that has been grown illegally in these locations could already be making its way into the supply chains of major brands A total of 200 hectares (494 acres) of oil palm plantings are less than 3 years old meaning they were planted after the deforestation cut-off date of 2020 in the EUDR These plantations will mature over the coming years they are also at risk of entering global supply chains–including the European Union–despite the fact that they were produced in a manner that is not compliant with the requirements of the EUDR regulation The maps below show the extent of illegal deforestation within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve after December 2015––the deforestation cut-off dates adopted by major brands and the European Union Deforestation Regulation The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires traceability of raw materials to the geo-location of production To comply with the EUDR–and to realize the implementation of No Deforestation and No Exploitation Policies adopted by major brands and banks––actors in palm oil supply chains need to invest in effective traceability systems to the point of production and programs that support all suppliers to achieve compliance this means traceability to government-allocated concessions this means the establishment of fully traceable supply chains that can trace oil palm fruit down to the farm level exclude palm fruit illegally produced in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from entering supply chains as palm oil grown in the reserve has been grown in violation of Indonesian laws and regulations as well as deforestation cut-off dates in voluntary policies adopted by major brands RAN’s investigation found that the traceability and compliance systems of global brands and palm oil traders in their supply chains are insufficient and are failing to end the sourcing of Conflict Palm Oil produced within the protected reserve In places like the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve this innocuous-seeming loophole can result in a “death by a thousand cuts” It enables the lack of full traceability to the source to continue in global palm oil supply chains and for “deforestation-free” claims to be made in a way that disregards deforestation driven by a different class of actors: land speculators RAN’s field investigations confirmed that the actors responsible for the recent uptick in deforestation in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve were land speculators Land speculators are locally influential individuals who often have formal positions that enable them to sell/trade land titles with outside parties They will typically have multiple land ownership certificates with total holdings much more significant than family smallholder farmers They often manage oil palm collection and dealing businesses and have access to financial resources that enable the deployment of expensive heavy machinery like excavators for land clearing and canal digging RAN has decided not to publish the names of the new land speculators identified This land speculator owns a palm oil brokering business called UD Daya which has a collection point in Ie Meudama Field investigations undertaken in September and October 2024 documented this land speculator accepting oil palm fruit grown in illegal palm oil plantations inside the reserve Investigators followed trucks from his collection points to a nearby mill showing that this land speculator supplies illegally produced palm oil fruits to a mill called PT You can also view high resolution imagery that shows the extent of forest loss between 2016 and 2024 for Case 1 on Nusantara Atlas This land speculator controls 10ha (25 acres) inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The most recent documentation of illegal deforestation and oil palm plantings within the reserve was undertaken in February 2024 Earlier clearing was identified using satellite analysis in June 2022 Zoom into the highlighted areas to see more You can also view high resolution imagery that shows the extent of forest loss between 2016 and 2024 for Case 2 on Nusantara Atlas. This land speculator controls 50 ha (124 acres) inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The most recent illegal forest clearance and canal development documentation was undertaken in February 2024 You can also view high resolution imagery that shows the extent of forest loss between 2016 and 2024 for Case 3 on Nusantara Atlas This land speculator controls 100 hectares (247 acres) The most recent illegal forest clearance and canal construction documentation was undertaken in February 2024 Earlier clearing was observed via satellite analysis in October 2023 You can also view high resolution imagery that shows the extent of forest loss between 2016 and 2024 for Case 4 on Nusantara Atlas This land speculator controls 18 hectares (44 acres) within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Seven hectares (17 acres) are productive oil palm plantations Oil palm plantings began in 2014 and continued until 2017 You can also view high resolution imagery that shows the extent of forest loss between 2016 and 2024 for Case 5 on Nusantara Atlas Evidence obtained by RAN indicates that this land speculator has lands illegally developed into oil palm plantations inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve RAN’s investigations found that some of the plantations produce palm oil fruit that is being harvested and sold to a dealer with a nearby collection point The dealer is supplying palm oil fruits to PT GSS)––a mill supplying Royal Golden Eagle (Apical) which supplies Permata Hijau Group and Pacific Palmindo Industries These traders supply global brands with illegally produced palm oil produced by this land speculator Review the report and the images and evidence shown below for details on the full investigation resulting from illegally clearing lowland rainforests within the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve This means these brands are at risk of manufacturing their consumer products using illegal palm oil produced at the expense of the Orangutan Capital of the World The global market now demands palm oil free of deforestation and exploitation of communities and workers especially in global biodiversity hotspots like the Leuser Ecosystem these commitments still need to be adequately implemented on the frontlines of palm oil expansion in the Orangutan Capital of the World in Aceh Advancements are needed in the palm oil industry because global brands and their customers remain exposed to illegal sources of Conflict Palm Oil grown by land speculators inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Investments are needed to establish multi-stakeholder programs that develop and implement a shared and just vision to protect the lowland rainforests and peatlands of the Singkil-Bengkung region from further destruction These programs should also diversify economies and drive investments in low-carbon small-scale agriculture that respects the rights of communities and smallholder farmers to manage their lands and improve livelihoods and banks complicit in the Singkil crisis to invest in these programs without delay The companies named in this report were asked to comment on the findings presented. Details of their responses are available at https://www.ran.org/leuser-watch/orangutan-capital-under-siege/ This watchdog platform reveals the harm caused by the production of forest-risk commodities like palm oil Forest Frontlines connects the dots from sites of deforestation and human rights violations to the major global brands and traders who are ultimately accountable Najla Nur Fauziyah Laila Afifa and Geophysics Agency or BMKG reported that a tectonic earthquake with 4.4-magnitude shook Aceh Singkil Regency and its surrounding area on Friday The epicenter of the quake was located at 2.15 northern latitudes and 97.85 longitudes west or 21 kilometers southeast of Aceh Singkil at a 31-kilometer depth in the ocean “Considering the epicenter location and the depth of the hypocenter it was a shallow earthquake due to a Megathrust activity,” said the head of BMKG Region I Hendro Nugroho on Friday the earthquake was experienced at an III-IV MMI on the intensity scale in Aceh Singkil Regency the quake was felt on a III MMI intensity scale BMKG monitoring showed no signs of aftershocks Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News Wikipedia: AI Will Not Replace Human Volunteers Retina Scanning for Crypto? Cyber Law Expert Warns of Worldcoin's Biometric Dangers Samsung to Open Galaxy AI-Driven Pop-Up Restaurant in Portugal BMKG Reports M5.4 Earthquake Striking Tomini Bay; No Tsunami Threats WHO: Hand Hygiene is Essential, Medical Gloves Are Not a Substitute Jobs That AI Will Replace: Is Your Current Job at Risk? Top 10 Highest-Paying Majors Worth Pursuing in 2025 Expert Raises Alarm on Crypto Scams, Biometric Leaks After Worldcoin Freeze BMKG Reports M5.4 Earthquake Striking Tomini Bay; No Tsunami Threats BMKG Forecasts Heavy Rain Still Possible in Two Regions as Dry Season Starts BMKG Forecasts Heavy Rainfall for Parts of Southern Bogor in Early May BMKG Shares Weather Forecast for Greater Jakarta on Labor Day Coastal Flood Submerges Neighborhood Unit in North Jakarta: BPBD Dry Season Approaches: BMKG to Run Weather Modification in Indonesia's Jambi Scorching Hot Weather Grips Indonesia: BMKG Reports Temperatures Hit 37 Degrees Celsius BMKG Explains Why Turkey is Prone to Frequent Earthquakes During the last week, there has been international acclaim for a decline in the destruction of primary forests in Indonesia in 2022 as it is the opposite of the worrying increases being reported in primary forest loss in other tropical rainforest nations like Brazil Indonesia’s downward trend is not consistent across the nation’s archipelago some of Indonesia’s most important rainforests within the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the Leuser Ecosystem suffered a spike in deforestation for new This has included the clearing of primary forests on carbon-rich peatlands that are the home to the highest density of Sumatran orangutans on the planet Time lapse footage provided by open source forest monitoring platform Nusantara Atlas shows illegal deforestation for palm oil continued in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from January 2022 to May 2023 Planet imagery showing the destruction of peat forests inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from January 2022 to May 2023 The time lapse imagery below shows the forest loss continue into 2023 including surrounding the village of le Meudama that is located in the district of Aceh Selatan––a hot spot of palm oil expansion that was exposed in RAN’s Carbon Bomb Scandals Report as an area producing Conflict Palm Oil that is supplying major global brands such as Procter & Gamble Sentinel 2 imagery showing the destruction of peat forests inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve near the le Meudama village from Febuary to June 2023 civil society organizations and experts have continued to speak out about this worrying trend and have called for an emergency response to address the crisis unfolding in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve major brands like Procter & Gamble and Mondelēz and traders Golden Agri Resources and Wilmar International––the companies that have driven the destruction of the peat forests inside the protected reserve and surrounding lowland rainforests–– have not responded to the crisis or scaled up interventions that will deliver a reduction in deforestation in this important carbon sink and the ‘Orangutan Capital of the World.’ and the world’s leading providers of geo-spatial data and forest monitoring systems we know that brands like Procter & Gamble and Mondelēz are aware of the crisis in the Singkil peat swamp and are simply refusing to act The Leuser Ecosystem remains one of Indonesia’s most important Intact Forest Landscapes where we must work together to achieve this goal across the entire region governments and the palm oil sector must work together to protect the last remaining standing forests in the Leuser Ecosystem and end deforestation for palm oil expansion within this global biodiversity hotspot We simply can’t afford to turn its carbon dense peat swamp forests into carbon bombs or convert vast areas of its lowland rainforests into palm oil plantations Sumatran elephant and Sumatran rhino all depend on achieving an end to deforestation in the Leuser Ecosystem David Gaveau speaking about the deforestation crisis in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and the impact of the expansion of palm oil into the peat swamp forests on critically endangered Sumatran orangutans For nearly a decade, RAN has documented the destruction of primary and secondary forests within the Leuser Ecosystem for palm oil and traced the culprits responsible back to the supply chains of major brands such as Procter & Gamble The good news is over the past five years we have witnessed a significant decrease in deforestation across the Leuser Ecosystem landscape of the rise in compliance of palm oil companies with best practice industry standards adopted by major brands and palm oil traders called ‘No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation’ (NDPE) practices The decline in deforestation in the Leuser Ecosystem in the district of Aceh Tamiang–– which is located in north-east of the Leuser Ecosystem––has been aided by significant investments into jurisdictional and landscape programs funded by PepsiCo PepsiCo and Unilever have made significant investments into landscape level programs in Aceh whilst their peers have failed to take responsibility for their contribution to the destruction of the Leuser Ecosystem It is clear that to protect the Leuser Ecosystem there is an immediate need for brands and traders to scale up investments in landscape level programs that aim to end deforestation for palm oil especially in the district of Aceh Selatan where the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is located and is facing an onslaught of deforestation The new European Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products also recently came into effect This regulation will force brands and traders to prove that the products they are importing into the EU are made with ingredients that have not contributed to deforestation since 2020 This regulation will drive change through palm oil supply chains and has the potential to address some of the underlying drivers of deforestation in Indonesia––such as the lack of adequate traceability systems that enable a brand to know where all the palm oil it sources was produced The world’s largest palm oil certification system––the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)––is part of the problem The RSPO provides certified palm oil products using supply chain systems that mix certified and untraceable and uncertified sources of palm oil together This means that major brands that rely on the RSPO’s Mass Balance system continue to use palm oil from unknown sources––sources they can not trace or prove are free of deforestation Brands simply can’t rely on certification systems to meet the requirements outlined in the new EU regulation The pressure is on; the brands––and their suppliers––have 18 months to fully map their supply chains and be able to provide geo-referenced data on the location where all the palm oil they source was grown Illegally produced palm oil grown at the expense of peat swamp forests inside the protected area––by local elites claiming to be smallholder farmers–– made its way into the supply chains of major brands The illegal palm oil was laundered by the local elites via a network of mills that claim to have fully traceable supply chains (100% traceability to the plantation and farm level) Our report proved that the claims made by a number of these mills were fraudulent and that the big name brands were implicated in the destruction through their sourcing of the Conflict Palm Oil in question In order for deforestation-free pledges made by major brands to be trusted by consumers they must stop basing their claims on unverified claims made by their suppliers Investments must be made at a landscape level to map supply chains and distinguish family-run smallholder farms from palm oil plantations that have been established on deforested lands by local elites engaging in land speculation Jakarta - Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin said that the recent church-burning incident in Aceh Singkil was probably not completely caused by religious reasons President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo instructed related sides to resolve the conflict carefully "We must see the conflict comprehensively to understand what really happened there,” Lukman said in Jakarta on Friday (16/10) The minister added that the government did not rule out the possibility that there were other interests that incited the conflict He also said that such an incident did not represent the characters of Indonesian people who are known to respect each other and differences there could have been something else behind it,” he added had already sent a number of staff to the location of the church to investigate the incident he said that the Ministry had also continued to coordinate with the local government a mob that called itself the Aceh Singkil Islamic Youth Movement allegedly burned down the HKI Indonesian Christian Church which was allegedly built without proper permits 6 calling on the local administration to tear down the building One of the attackers died from a gunshot and four others were injured The Police were questioning 45 people as of Tuesday Vasectomy for Social Assistance? Dedi Mulyadi's Controversial Proposal Draws Mixed Reactions West Java's Dedi Mulyadi Prepares Rp6bn to Send Troubled Teens to Military Barracks Bareskrim Arrests 4 LPG Agents for Subsidy Fraud, Rp5.6bn in State Losses Prabowo Plans to Build Emergency Bulog Warehouses in Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara Govt Launches Religious Conflict Early Warning System App GIDI Apologizes to Moslems for Tolikara Incident Influential Indonesian Ustad Resides in New York   Influential Indonesian Ustad Resides in New York England Sees Dramatic Rise in Attacks on Muslims In September 2022, RAN released the Carbon Bomb Scandals report proving that palm oil produced illegally in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve––a nationally protected nature reserve in the Leuser Ecosystem––continued to make its way into the products sold by Procter & Gamble Nissin Foods and other Consumer Goods Forum members that were continuing to do business with the palm oil traders caught sourcing illegal palm oil from the reserve three of the world’s biggest palm oil traders exposed in the scandal––Musim Mas and Golden Agri Resources of the Sinar Mas Group––have issued reports confirming that their indirect suppliers had established illegal plantations within the protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The reports also highlight an important precedent: agreements have been reached to return illegally established oil palm plantations to the authorities so they can be restored and managed as part of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and Nissin Foods have not responded to the Carbon Bomb Scandals report despite the confirmation of their sourcing of palm oil from suppliers with illegal plantations in a nationally protected peatland and the Orangutan capital of the world RAN documented illegal palm oil plantations inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve that were operated by two suppliers––local elites called Mr The sourcing of palm oil produced illegally and on lands that were deforested or on carbon-rich peatlands is a violation of each company’s “No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation” (NDPE) policy The report also sounded the alarm that deforestation is on the rise in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Indonesia’s globally important Leuser Ecosystem Despite this concerning trend––which is driven by the demand for palm oil–– the traders and brands named in the scandal have failed to announce an increase in investments and collective action to monitor and protect the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from further destruction The Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is located in the Singkil-Bengkung region which is one of the most critically important areas of the Leuser Ecosystem Covering roughly 286,000 hectares (706,588 acres) in the southwest corner of the Leuser Singkil-Bengkung is a worldwide hotspot for biological diversity and one of the highest-priority conservation landscapes on the planet The region consists of the Singkil and Kluet peatlands––ancient and carbon-rich peatlands storing immense amounts of greenhouse gasses safely and naturally underground Its peatlands and surrounding lowland rainforests also provide critical habitat for endangered Sumatran elephants The area has been called the ‘orangutan capital of the world’ because it is home to the densest populations of orangutans to be found anywhere Palm Oil Traders Respond to the Carbon Bomb Scandals Eight of the 15 traders named in the Carbon Bomb Scandals have issued public responses––including the publication of reports by three traders that undertook field verification exercises to investigate RAN’s allegations of illegal palm oil in their supply chains and Gemini edibles & fats have not yet issued a response Musim Mas issued updates detailing the results of its field verification of the findings in RAN’s initial report, and additional evidence published in response to Musim Mas and other traders initial denial of Mr Musim Mas confirmed during its field verification in November ‘that some part of Mr Mahmudin’s farm extended inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve.’ Musim Mas states that Mr Mahmudin was not aware of this overlap and that part of its plantation was illegal as it had been established inside the boundaries of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve one of Musim Mas’s supplying mills called PT BSL) decided to exclude supplies from Ibu Nasti and another mill PT GSS) claims to have stopped sourcing from Mr Mahmudin on the basis that he has agreed to an ‘action plan’ that will result in returning part of the farm located inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve to the government; declaring all oil palm farms that also belong to him; and creating and maintaining traceability records for all palm oil fresh fruit bunches (FFB) sources entering the collection points he controls that supply palm oil to nearby mills This ‘action plan’ will be implemented in stages over 6 months from December 2022 RPP’s action plan and decided to continue to source from PT RPP over the 6-month period despite the risks that doing so may result in ongoing sourcing of palm oil from illegal plantations within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve a palm oil broker called CV Buana Indah that was supplying the mill with palm oil FFB from Mr Wilmar and GAR’s joint field verification also confirmed that Mr Mahmudin had established illegal palm oil plantations over four-hectare areas of land located within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve RPP’s action plan and will continue to source from the controversial mill despite the risks that doing so may result in ongoing sourcing from illegal plantations within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The approach of traders not suspending sourcing from all non-compliant suppliers is clearly ineffective given RAN has documented the same NDPE policy violations in the same protected area–– including by the same palm oil broker CV Buana Indah and mill PT GSS-–– three years after the implementation of the 2019 ‘action plans.’ The action plans agreed upon this year include one important precedent: agreements have been reached to return illegally established oil palm plantations to the authorities so they can be restored and managed as part of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve If this commitment is delivered through the restoration of the 4.5 hectares (approx it will set an important precedent as over 300 hectares (approx 740 acres) of illegal plantations have been established within the boundaries of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The Carbon Bomb Scandals show that major brands and the palm oil sector are still failing to enforce their ‘No Deforestation The weaknesses in the brands’ and traders’ approaches to monitoring and non-compliant suppliers is a major contributor to their failure Sime Darby––another palm oil producer and trader which has operations in Aceh––has issued a response that reiterates the false claims of its suppliers and did not disclose any requirements that it set for its suppliers to end their sourcing of illegal palm oil from the reserve A number of downstream palm oil processors that supply major brands with palm oil products have also issued responses The results of this monitoring and mapping work have not yet been published Given the lack of adequate traceability systems that have been confirmed by other traders’ field verification exercises Olam and the mills and traders in its supply chain can not make any claims regarding the elimination of sourcing from non-compliant producers in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve According to the 2021 TTP declaration report upon checking the FFB supplier list the team found that PT RPP has not been implementing the FFB traceability system properly.”  RPP was not sourcing from the broker CV Buana Indah This claim was also refuted by Wilmar and GAR’s investigation report which states “According to its (PT CV BI is a new supplier registered in April 2022.” Fuji Oil has marked the complaint against PT RPP ‘closed’ despite the clear evidence that it has been sourcing from a supplier with illegal plantations within the reserve Fuji Oil cites inaccurate claims regarding PT Mahmudin that have been made by another supplier Fuji Oils claims to have stopped sourcing from Ibu Nasti via its supplying mill PT Bangun Sempurna Lestari based on the findings that part of Ibu Nasti’s farm was also located within the protected area Major Brands and Consumer Goods Forum Fail to Respond Adequately to Illegal Palm Oil Scandal In the Carbon Bombs Scandal report, RAN called on the brands exposed for sourcing illegal palm oil––and a collective of 400 consumer goods manufacturing companies in the Consumer Goods Forum––to stop the carbon bombs in their palm oil supply chains and scale up investments to protect the Leuser Ecosystem. Most major brands such as Mondelēz and Nissin Foods have not responded to the scandal despite the confirmation of their sourcing of palm oil from suppliers with illegal plantations in a nationally protected peatland and the ‘orangutan capital of the world.’ The Consumer Goods Forum have not issued a collective response despite the reports being hand delivered by activists to the CEOs of the biggest corporations committed to “Forest Positive” actions during the CGF’s events at last year’s Climate Week in New York City Bangun Sempurna Lestari and the traders that persist in supplying it with palm oil grown at the expense of the Leuser Ecosystem Landscape-level action is needed to save the Singkil-Bengkung Region from palm oil driven destruction Despite the growing threats to the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve there have been no announcements of individual or collective investments in landscape-level actions to halt deforestation for palm oil across the three districts in the Singkil-Bengkung region including in the response issued by Procter & Gamble A collaborative forest and monitoring initiative has yet not been established in the Singkil-Bengkung region and remains a priority for collaborative action in 2023 Apical and local organizations in the neighboring district of Aceh Singkil and on smallholder and social forestry programs in Aceh Singkil and has communicated a willingness to support the establishment of a collaborative monitoring and response system for the region Traceability systems are failing to stop brands’ sourcing of deforestation-linked illegal palm oil A major barrier to the effective implementation of NDPE policies is the failure of the brands to achieve traceability in their palm oil supply chains Traceability means knowing the location where all palm oil they source was produced The lack of adequate traceability systems means these corporations can’t monitor their supply chains adequately or monitor and identify all of their suppliers that are engaging in deforestation or expanding into peatlands If the brands don’t know the plantations and farms that their suppliers––the traders––are sourcing from there is no way they can claim to be sourcing legally produced palm oil that is ‘deforestation-free’ and not grown at the expense of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve or the threatened forests in the Leuser Ecosystem that the mills and brokers they were sourcing from had completely inadequate traceability systems––even in cases where mills had been claiming through self-reported data to have achieved 100% traceability Suppliers caught sourcing illegal palm oil from the wildlife reserve are not recording and tracing all the palm oil FFBs suppliers or data collection is patchy and inconsistent due to the brokers they are sourcing from not knowing or disclosing their sources RPP) that was claiming 100% traceability was found to not be implementing the FFB traceability system properly GSS) that had traceability procedures after RAN’s 2019 scandal were not implementing their procedures Another mill claims to have a “first mile’ traceability mechanism that collects data related to legality and farm locations––but it was unaware that its supplier had both legal and illegal plantations None of the mills had dedicated teams running and monitoring the traceability process The underlying reason why “first mile” traceability systems––systems that track to the farm or plantation level– have not been established by this network of suppliers around the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is the lack of investment by brands and traders to ensure all current and potential suppliers are supported to comply with their NDPE policies and commitments to not source from suppliers destroying the Leuser Ecosystem The future of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and its surrounding lowland rainforests in the Singkil-Bengkung region which provide critical habitat for endangered Sumatran elephants 2023 Must Be A Game Changing Year for the Implementation of No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation policies in the Leuser Ecosystem RAN is a small nonprofit organization with very limited resources and only a small investigation team conducting the sorts of investigations that lead to the Carbon Bomb Scandals report and our other Leuser Watch investigations The fact that we are able to find cases of ongoing sourcing from suppliers with illegal palm oil plantations and other violations of brands’ No Deforestation pledges every time we look for them is clear evidence that the serious issues we are raising are in fact just the tip of the iceberg of an ongoing systemic failure in the efforts of global consumer goods companies to truly cut conflict palm oil from their supply chains With the last viable habitat of species like the Sumatran orangutan and tiger––all critically endangered and at imminent risk of extinction in the wild––continuing to be destroyed by relentless palm oil plantation development the situation is urgent and the stakes are high The overall trend of an increase in deforestation in the Singkil-Bengkung region in 2022 and 2023 is extremely worrying it is not all bad news as there are promising trends in the decrease in deforestation in the north-east of the Leuser Ecosystem in the district of Aceh Tamiang where landscape and jurisdictional programs have been established with support from the district government these types of initiatives can be scaled up to deliver a rights-based approach to the protection and restoration of forests and peatlands across the Leuser Ecosystem The Carbon Bomb Scandals show that the brands and traders sourcing from suppliers inside and around the Leuser Ecosystem must accelerate the scale and pace of these collaborative efforts because these globally important forests are still dying a death by a thousand cuts and other initiatives launched during the last Conference Of Parties in Egypt The forests and peatlands of Indonesia’s nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve within the world renowned Leuser Ecosystem are globally important landscapes for conservation due to their nearly unparalleled importance as habitat for endangered biodiversity and for the region’s critical role as a carbon sequestration powerhouse Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is presenting fresh evidence of ongoing and emerging threats of illegal clearance and rainforest destruction related to the unchecked expansion of the palm oil industry in the reserve and surrounding region This is far from the first time that global brands have been alerted to their exposure to sourcing Conflict Palm Oil from ‘the Orangutan Capital of the World.’ RAN is escalating our call for urgent immediate action by global brands in 2024 to cut offending mills and suppliers from their supply chains and to take meaningful action––alongside governments and the agencies responsible for managing and protecting the reserve––to end further expansion of palm oil infrastructure in this region Timelapse footage showing the construction of the new mill in close proximity to the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve ATAK) mill just outside the north-eastern boundary of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Aceh Selatan The map also shows the uptick in deforestation within the reserve after the new mill became operational in 2022 and 2023 Map provided by TheTreeMap/Nusantara Atlas The new mills that are threatening the Orangutan Capital of the World are PT PepsiCo and Unilever need to place these mills on their No Buy Lists and increase their investments in jurisdictional programs designed to protect the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from further destruction The new mills have no published policies or commitments to prevent the sourcing of illegal palm oil from within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve nor do they have the systems in place to comply with market demands for responsibly produced palm oil which complies with the No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation (NDPE) policy benchmarks set by major brands Aceh Trumon Anugerah Kita mill and the PT Aceh Bakongan Eka Nabati mill in close proximity to the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Kluet peatland and the lowland rainforests in the Singkil-Bengkung Trumon region in South Aceh ATAK) – a new mill driving palm oil demand since 2022  meaning it is driving a considerable demand for palm oil in the district of South Aceh Since becoming operational, the local community has sent a letter calling on the local government to stop the operation of the mill due to effluent from the mill polluting local waterways which are relied upon by the Pinto Rimba community The community has requested investigations be undertaken by government agencies into the procedures and practices of waste management mediation efforts between the company and the Pinto Rimba community were carried out ATAK) is a palm oil mill that may be responsible for the increase in illegal deforestation in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GPS Coordinates 02°51’01.95″N 97°48’40.07″E   Brokers in yellow and black trucks leaving the PT ATAK mill after delivering palm oil fruits collected from the surrounding areas in the Trumon corridor in Aceh Selatan A tanker is arriving to collect Crude Palm Oil from the mill GPS Coordinates: 02°51’36.64″N 97°47’17.42″E  GPS Coordinates 02°51’36.64″N 97°47’17.41″E  Small and medium size trucks that are operated by a network of brokers deliver fresh fruit bunches of palm oil that have been collected from the surrounding area which includes the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GPS Coordinates 02°51’34.95″N 97°47’21.28″E  Heavy machinery being used to move palm oil fresh fruit bunches at the PT GPS Coordinates 02°51’34.95″N 97°47’21.28″E  Piles of palm oil fresh fruit bunches that have been delivered by brokers to PT GPS Coordinates 02°51’34.95″N 97°47’21.28″E   Storage tanks filled with Crude Palm Oil at the PT GPS Coordinates 02°51’36.64″N 97°47’17.42″E   Aceh Trumon Anugerah Kita mill in close proximity to the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and the lowland rainforests in the Singkil-Bengkung Trumon region in South Aceh Global palm oil supplier Permata Hijau caught sourcing from a controversial new palm oil mill within the Orangutan Capital of the World  Permata Hijau’s own published supply list shows sourcing of palm oil from PT ABEN) – a new mill under construction  with the investment value reaching 120 billion Indonesian Rupiah Aceh Bakongan Eka Nabati (PT ABEN) palm oil mill development in Ujung Mangki GPS Coordinates 02°56’02.40″N 97°25’41.98″E Aceh Bakongan Eka Nabati mill in close proximity to the Kluet Peatland and the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the Singkil Bengkung Trumon region in South Aceh A sign at the ‘groundbreaking’ for the new PT ABEN mill by Bupati (Major) of Aceh Selatan Timelapse footage showing the construction of the new PT Aceh Bakongan Eka Nabati (PT ABEN) mill in close proximity to the Kluet Peatland and Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the village area of Ujung Mangki GPS Coordinates 02°56’02.40″N 97°25’41.98″E TheTreeMap/Nusantara Atlas ABEN) are new palm oil mills that are threatening the Orangutan Capital of the World PepsiCo and Unilever––and their suppliers––need to place these mills on their No Buy Lists and increase their investments in programs to protect the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from further destruction Any sourcing of refined palm oil products from Permata Hijau must be suspended immediately from traders like Cargill that has continue to be supplied by Permata Hijau despite its controversial track record of sourcing Conflict Palm Oil produced at the expense of lowland rainforests and peatlands in the Leuser Ecosystem Recent Leuser Watch posts have documented illegal palm oil production and other scandals involving Conflict Palm Oil being sourced by major brands from within the ecologically important carbon-rich lowland rainforests and peatlands of the Leuser Ecosystem’s Singkil-Bengkung region in Sumatra rhinos and elephants who depend on this special region for survival Tens of thousands of people depend on these intact forests too and the area is rife with looming threats and unresolved conflicts between local communities and rogue palm oil plantation operators the expansion of palm oil plantation companies into the district of Aceh Singkil has harmed community livelihoods by damaging local resources including agricultural land such as rice fields intimidation and criminalization into the lives of local community members The adjacent lowland rainforests which connect the Singkil and Kluet peatlands play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological integrity of the Singkil-Bengkung watershed The Singkil watershed covers 1,388,488 hectares in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra Peatland forests are unique wetland ecosystems capable of absorbing and then slowly releasing tremendous quantities of water in lush tropical climates like the one found on the west coast of Sumatra it exposes surrounding communities to major threats of catastrophic flash flooding a man-made disaster that has become all too common in regions of Indonesia that have been developed for palm oil The scale and stakes of the problem are huge, it has become common for dozens to hundreds of people to be killed and thousands to be pushed from their homes across Indonesia each year from landslides and flooding connected to unchecked forest destruction upstream. In one instance alone this past April, 2019 over 30 people lost their lives and thousands were forced to flee their homes in the Bengkulu region of western Sumatra Deforesting the area risks permanently damaging the flow and quality of water that runs out of the mountains and through the Singkil-Bengkung region Of equal concern to local communities are the changes in the hydrological function of the peatlands that results in the flooding of community lands in the rainy season and water shortages in the dry season Local communities depend on the lands and rivers of the Singkil-Bengkung region for their livelihoods traditionally harvest wild honey from inside the reserve and the traditional use of non-timber products is common Traditional use of forests is complemented by small-scale agriculture and gardens growing fruits and vegetables as sources of livelihood Naming Names: A History of Controversial Companies in Singkil-Bengkung The unchecked expansion of industrial palm oil plantations into areas where people are already established has caused thousands of unresolved land conflicts across Indonesia The palm oil plantations established in Singkil-Bengkung region are an example of a systematic failure to respect customary rights and to resolve conflicts between communities and companies arising from development on lands without consent being given by communities in the initial stages of the development the lands used by local palm oil producer PT Asdal Prima Lestari for its plantations have been contested as they are the customary lands of local communities Reports published by Walhi Aceh state that since the company seized the lands to establish its plantation local communities have called on the district government to recognize their customary rights and stop further encroachment onto the lands and gardens occupied by three villages These villages are now forced to occupy only a fraction of their customary lands and suffer the impacts of living next to a massive palm oil plantation hundreds of community members from villages of Kapai Sesak Alue Bujok and Titie Poben held a demonstration stating that they were ready to die to reclaim their land Asdal has used intimidation and criminalization of local community members to frighten communities from taking any further action to demand recognition of their rights The Aceh Singkil District Police have arrested four community members at community demonstrations that happened in Lae Langge Village has also seized nearly 2000 hectares of community lands for palm oil development despite active opposition from communities the company refused the instructions of the former Governor of Aceh to return the lands to the communities and deliver compensation for the harm it has caused the company took the matter to the local courts causing demonstrations from representatives of the local communities and students who participated in advocating for land justice Aceh National Land Agency demarcated a permanent boundary that was disputed by local communities who were excluded from the boundary demarking process The boundaries negotiated between the National Land Agency and the company were different from those recognized and agreed by the former governor Around 100 farmers have been arrested and in some cases detained by police and imprisoned and later relocated Some villagers faced time in prison and after their release continued to fight to regain their rights Nafasindo released 347.4 hectares (Ha) of disputed land to 22 villages This negotiated outcome did not fully restore the rights of local communities to their customary lands but it was agreed as a way to move forward and secure some level of economic stability for local communities Delima Makmur: This palm oil producer and mill operator also has a controversial track record since it seized lands that were managed by local communities for generations Analysis conducted by LBH Banda Aceh identified two cases of land conflicts between local communities and PT Delima Makmur The first land conflict case was with the Telaga Bakti Village where over 50 community members sued the company and won a court decision for 200 hectares of their lands to be given back to the community following a court decision issued by the Singkil District Court the implementation of the court’s decision has still not been realized and the community continues to be unable to work their lands The second land conflict case with the Telaga Bakti Village and PT Delima Makmur has arisen from the companies expansion of its palm oil plantation onto lands outside of its permitted area over 2500 hectares of oil palm was confiscated by the Regional Police as evidence and three directors of PT Delima Makmur were named as responsible for illegal use of lands Delima Makmur is controlled by Tesoro Holdings a company represented by well-known actors in the palm oil industry in Aceh and North Sumatra and connected to Ibris Palm––the parent company of PT which was expelled from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in 2016 for the destruction of orangutan habitat in the Leuser Ecosystem Independent Investigations Into Land Conflicts Needed A balance must be found between rebuilding the economy and equitable development while protecting human rights and the ecosystem services that local communities rely on for their livelihoods in the Singkil-Bengkung region Mars and Hershey’s––the companies exposed for their connections to the destruction of the Singkil-Bengkung region––must expand their investigations to verify these violations of their requirements for suppliers to respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent communities to give or withhold their Free Prior and Informed Consent to palm oil development on their lands RAN is demanding that all companies sourcing from PT Delima Makmur must require the resolution of ongoing conflicts with local communities as a matter of urgency If any company refuses to participate in independent investigations or fails to return customary lands to communities and fully implement negotiated agreements they should be placed on a permanent “No Buy” list Letter No.125 / KANDIR / X / 2014 dated 13 October 2014 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Fires burn following illegal deforestation within GPS Coordinates: 02°44′ 57.768″N 97°39’2.82″E Fires burn following illegal deforestation within and surrounding the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GPS Coordinates: 02°45′ 33.198″N 97°39′ 9.354″E New forest clearance and canal development inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve the traders committed to work with their supplier Mr Mahmudin to return illegally planted areas inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve to the authorities so they could be restored Mahmudin’s illegal palm oil plantation inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Palm oil grown on the illegally cleared land was later supplied by Mr Mahmudin and a network of brokers and mills to major brands including Procter & Gamble P&G suppliers issued updates saying the illegal plantations will not in fact be returned by their problematic supplier Mahmudin has backpedaled on his commitment and that he is confident he can continue to operate his illegal plantation with impunity while continuing to supply his palm oil products into the network of mills supplying the big traders and global brands like P&G Mahmudin established an illegal palm oil plantation on deforested lands inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The deforestation occurred after Procter & Gamble’s December 2015 deforestation cut-off date Musim Mas, GAR,  Wilmar and Apical of the Royal Golden Eagle group are now saying they have excluded Mr Mahmudin from their supply chains due to his refusal to return illegal plantations to the reserve as well as verification reports published by the traders have shown that the mills and associated network of palm oil brokers supplying these traders don’t have adequate traceability or No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation (NDPE) compliance systems This means these traders can’t truly provide any assurances that this exclusion of palm oil produced by Mr GAR and Wilmar have categorically refused to commission independent verification of the traceability and compliance systems of the mills they continue to source from that are located near the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Independent verification is required to assess if the systems they claim have been put in place since the publication of the Carbon Bomb Scandals are adequate and can be relied upon to ensure no sourcing of illegal palm oil grown by Mr Mahmudin–– and other local elites––inside the reserve In the absence of evidence collected via independent verification exercises the mills supplying Procter & Gamble and other major brands remain at risk of sourcing illegal palm oil produced inside the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Mahmudin from P&G’s supply chain’ and it has instructed its other suppliers to follow suit P&G has failed to work together with its suppliers and the government authorities to ensure the illegal palm oil plantation is restored to peat forests P&G remains at risk of sourcing illegal palm oil as its July 2023 mill list shows that it has sourced from seven mills at risk of sourcing illegal palm oil––PT This is the latest case of a failure of P&G and its suppliers to deliver on their no-deforestation commitments This failure is a particular tragedy because this undelivered commitment to complete restoration of the 11 acres of illegal plantation would have set a crucially important precedent This is because at least 620 additional acres of illegal plantations have already been established within the boundaries of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Map of illegal palm oil plantations inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and forest loss inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve after the deforestation cut-off date in Procter & Gamble’s palm oil sourcing policy The images below show the destruction that has persisted  inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve despite RAN repeatedly elevating the crisis in the Orangutan Capital of the World to Procter & Gamble Nissin Foods and the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) GPS Coordinates: 02°45′ 29.964″N 97°39′ 13.7944″E  GPS Coordinates: 02°45′ 0.3″N 97°39′ 1.818″E Fires burn peatlands within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GPS Coordinates: 02°44′ 46.002″N 97°39′ 11.46″E Deforestation within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve New illegal drainage of peatlands inside and surrounding the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve New illegal drainage of peatlands inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Peat forest destruction inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve New canal development inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve New forest clearance for oil palm plantations between the coast and the boundary of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve This uptick in deforestation is especially disturbing because, even as overall deforestation has declined across Indonesia as a whole, we are seeing a countertrend of steady year over year escalation of illegal primary forest destruction inside one of the most climate critical and globally important habitat areas for endangered wildlife species left in Indonesia The Leuser Ecosystem’s Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve known as the Orangutan Capital of the World is one the most highly protected national forest areas in the country and yet in 2019 we documented nearly 70 acres of forest clearance again growing in 2022 to nearly 1,770 acres and growing to a shocking 4,398 acres in 2023 With global brands and the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) having now made public commitments to end exactly this kind of destruction for palm oil development this death by a thousand cuts is extremely worrisome and demands an immediate response Procter & Gamble must follow through on its commitment to support restoration of illegal palm oil plantations within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Brands in the CGF must enforce their No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation policies with suppliers close the loopholes in traceability systems that are allowing illegally produced palm oil to be smuggled into their supply chains and invest in collaborative programs designed to protect and restore the Leuser Ecosystem’s rainforests and peatlands especially those facing an onslaught within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the district of Aceh Selatan Join us as we call on P&G to uphold its commitment to restore peat forests in the orangutan capital of the world Map showing remaining forests within the Singkil-Bengkung Trumon region where the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is located The Singkil-Bengkung Trumon region is a priority region within the globally important Leuser Ecosystem that is threatened by palm oil expansion The yellow stars show fires within the region in January 2024 Peat forests that are the orangutan capital of the world remain at risk of illegal palm oil expansion within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve  this deforestation crisis involves the construction of illegal canals designed to drain wet primary peat swamp rainforests within a region of the Leuser Ecosystem long known as the ‘orangutan capital of the world.’ The biologically rich area is home to many species of wildlife at risk of imminent extinction including the most dense populations of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans known to still exist anywhere Fresh evidence shows that globally important peatforests continue to be bulldozed, and new canals drained, and that, in fact, the rate of destruction is greater than has been seen in the past decade of RAN’s monitoring of palm oil expansion inside the world-renowned region. Satellite imagery from Nusantara Atlas shows a new deforestation front – this time in the north east of the protected area in Aceh The time lapse imagery below shows canal development since June 2023 and the clearing of peatforests in October 2023 Time lapse imagery captured from Nusantara Atlas shows new canal development since June 2023 and the clearing of peatforests in October inside the north-east boundary of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve This destruction is happening on the eve of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil meeting that is being held in Jakarta in late November It is further evidence of the palm oil sectors failure to stop driving deforestation inside the Leuser Ecosystem and the failure of major brands like Nestlé Mondelēz and Colgate-Palmolive to implement their commitments to end deforestation and new development on carbon rich peatlands in their supply chains Planet satellite data shows new canal development since June 2023 and the clearing of peatforests in October inside the north-east boundary of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Deforestation shown in pink dot within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the last 30 days Significant clearing of peatforests is occurring at the end of a new canal to the west of the palm oil plantation of PT Agro Sinergi Nusantara  GPS Coordinates: 97 the ‘Carbon Bomb Scandals’ crisis is worsening The forests discussed here are among the highest priority landscapes for conservation in the world and it is hard to overstate the stakes involved with this rate of destruction occurring in an area that is legally protected as a Wildlife Reserve With so much lowland primary rainforest already destroyed and so little intact habitat of this quality remaining inside the reserve and surrounding lowlands of the Singkil-Bengkung region it is not an exaggeration to say that the continued existence of iconic species like the orangutan rhino and tiger depend upon saving all of what remains Major brands and their suppliers like Royal Golden Eagle Group Wilmar and Musim Mas need to do more to stop palm oil expansion into the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Deforestation within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve has been on the rise during the last 360 days (shown in pink dots) A majority of deforestation is inside the reserve in the district of Aceh Selatan Deforestation has persisted inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve since the deforestation cut-off date of December 2015 which is in major brands No Deforestation A year after releasing the Carbon Bomb Scandals report at the start of Climate Week 2022 which exposed major global brands illegally sourcing palm oil produced within the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem field teams with Rainforest Action Network have collected fresh evidence of ongoing and expanded illegal destruction of peat forests inside the reserve The area being destroyed is a carbon-rich peat swamp and is a globally significant biodiversity hotspot often referred to as the ‘orangutan capital of the world.’ Peatland ecosystems are the most effective terrestrial landscapes on earth for natural carbon sequestration release catastrophic levels of emissions into the atmosphere when drained and cleared in this way New satellite and drone footage show that at least 26 km of new canals were dug in 2023 This increase in new canal development is consistent with worrying data showing an increase in forest loss in the reserve which is the opposite of trends cited in most primary forests across Indonesia The driver for the drainage of peatlands via canals is palm oil that will ultimately make its way into the supply chains of international brands despite these brands having publicly issued commitments against deforestation or peatland destruction This loophole is due to the inadequate traceability and compliance systems in place by the network of mills surrounding the reserve The public policy commitments of major brands have prohibited new development of palm oil plantations on peat since a December 31 they have failed to stop new development on one the most important peat swamps in Sumatra home to the highest concentration of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans known to remain anywhere The claims made by the world’s biggest brands during Climate Week 2023 about addressing their impact on the climate and ending deforestation and destruction of peatlands in their supply chains simply can’t be trusted It is crystal clear that the destruction of the primary forests in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve––a massive store of carbon and the orangutan capital of the world–– persists under their watch RAN alleges that the results of its latest investigation demonstrates that local elites with vested interests are fast-tracking destruction within the reserve in an attempt to convince the Indonesian government to reduce the boundaries of the protected area We know efforts are underway to convince the Minister of Environment and Forestry to change the boundaries of the reserve to once again remove recently cleared areas and existing illegal palm oil plantations from the boundaries of the protected area This is evident by the decision made by Mr Mahmudin––a local elite who has been caught supplying illegal palm oil to the brands––to backflip on his commitment to return illegal plantations to the reserve for restoration after being exposed in the Carbon Bombs Scandal The images below were taken by RAN’s investigators who recently flew drones over the areas of forests inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve that are being destroyed by new canal development A significant area of the new canal development inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is concentrated in the area to the north of the Ie Meudama village This village was named as the location of Mr Mahmudin’s collection point for illegal palm oil in RAN’s Carbon Bomb Scandals report Significant areas of forests are being cleared inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve to make way for new illegal palm oil plantations The Consumer Goods Forum––and most of the world’s household name brands like Mondelēz and Kao ––have failed to issue any statements detailing the actions they have taken in response to the crisis in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Join us as we call on the Consumer Goods Forum to take action in response to the Carbon Bomb Crisis unfolding in the Leuser Ecosystem RAN’s campaigner Maggie Martin presented the Carbon Bomb Scandals report to the members of the Consumer Foods Forum’s Forest Positive Coalition The actions that have been taken by these three brands––and their peers and the Consumer Goods Forum––have not been sufficient given the problems outlined in the report have only worsened over the last year Unilever also cites its support of landscape programs in Aceh––which have made a positive impact in Aceh Tamiang in the north-east of the Leuser––but these programs have not yet been established in Aceh Selatan where the highest rates of deforestation and new canal development are occuring P&G responded to the crisis by committing to work with its suppliers to restore illegal palm oil plantations in the reserve P&G remains at risk of sourcing illegal palm oil from its direct suppliers: Apical of the Royal Golden Eagle group Nissin Foods responded to the Carbon Bomb Scandal in its new grievance list that it published before its Annual shareholder meeting in June Its response stated that it stopped sourcing from one of the non-compliant suppliers identified in the report––Ibu Nasti––but it did not adopt a No Buy policy for the mill called PT Bangun Sempurna Lestari that was caught souring illegal palm oil from Ibu Nasti’s illegal plantation within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The failure of major brands to respond effectively to such egregious instances of illegality and primary rainforest destruction should be raising alarms across the sector as the enforcement date for the newly enacted European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR) are soon to take effect The EUDR will require all companies importing forest-risk commodities like palm oil into the EU to credibly trace their supplies back to the precise location of their production and to demonstrate due diligence proving these suppliers are not destroying forests or violating human rights Continued failure by these brands to achieve these basic acts of verification and traceability will soon expose them and their investors to an even greater material financial risk until they close the loopholes that still exist and truly rid their products of Conflict Palm Oil Thousands of Christians taking refuge after two attacks by a Muslim mob at separate churches in their hometown of Singkil are set to return home on Friday afternoon with the police and army's assistance told the Jakarta Globe on Friday that 5,490 Christian refugees from Singkil who have been staying for three days in neighboring districts Central Tapanuli and Pakpak Bharat would depart using vehicles provided by the police and Indonesian Army "Local authorities and officials have met with the refugees And even though they said they were still worried Aceh Singkil district head Safriadi and Aceh Police chief Ins Husen Hamidi will monitor the transfer and beef up security to prevent any disturbances On Tuesday an angry mob of some 500 Muslims attacked and set a church in Aceh Singkil on fire for allegedly operating without a permit A second incident took place at a church in Dangguran village where one assailant was reportedly shot dead and five others injured The police have named 10 people as suspects but only officially detained three in the premeditated attacks and ensuing deadly clash President Joko Widodo has condemned the mob attacks while Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo called for regional officials to maintain religious freedom and tolerance Churches in Indonesia have seen forced closures by local officials and attacks by hard-line Muslim groups since the republic transitioned into a democratic era known as reformasi in 1998 the issue seemed to have particularly aggravated in the predominantly Muslim Aceh where the shariah law applies Royal Golden Eagle Group and other palm oil traders that supply major brands like Procter & Gamble, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo and Nissin Foods have issued statements in response to RAN’s recent expose that deny their sourcing of illegal palm oil produced within the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve RAN criticizes the investigations that have been conducted to date into one of the two “Carbon Bomb Scandal” cases as they have focused on verifying the legal plantations of their controversial supplier Mr Mahmudin Mr Mahmudin is one of the two palm oil producers that RAN exposed for having expanded its plantation illegally into the protected wildlife reserve in the Singkil-Bengkung region of the Leuser Ecosystem in September this year as not a single consumer goods company exposed in the report has issued a public response to the findings of illegal palm oil in their supply chains This inaction is further evidence that the brands are failing to implement their “Forest Positive” and “No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation” (NDPE) commitments by stopping the expansion of new palm oil plantations in the threatened peat forests in the Leuser Ecosystem Major traders deny illegal palm oil production by their supplier Mr Mahmudin  Not a single trader has issued a response that includes the results of independent field investigations to determine if RAN’s findings are accurate––that Mr Mahmudin has established illegal plantations inside the boundaries of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in addition to its legal plantations that are located outside the nationally protected reserve RAN stands by the evidence presented in the Carbon Bomb Scandals report and in response to these denials RAN is presenting additional evidence below to support its findings that major brands and traders remain complicit with the destruction of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve for illegal palm oil plantations via their network of suppliers in the Singkil-Bengkung region in Aceh Mr Mahmudin has oil palm plantations located both inside and outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve  RAN’s report presented evidence that Mr Mahmudin’s plantations include areas both within and outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The map below––which was included in the report––shows that a vast area of forests have been cleared to the north of Mr Mahmudin’s legal plantations RAN’s findings from our extensive field investigations is that Mr Mahmudin’s palm oil plantation extends to the north of the lands covered by his legal titles beyond the boundary of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The wildlife reserve area is shown by the pink shaded areas on the map below High-quality images shown in three of the maps below show the destruction of peat forests by Mr Mahmudin These images were taken at the location shown as a red dot in the map and the surrounding area cleared for palm oil is now producing oil palm fruits and those fruits are being harvested and supplied to major brands by a number of brokers RAN’s report also showed that Mr  Mahmudin had plantation areas outside the wildlife reserve Images that were presented in the report for locations within his legal plantations are shown in the map below via the black dots The nearby collection point where oil palm fruit was taken is shown by the green dot which is outside the reserve RAN’s report presented GPS coordinates that are both inside and outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve In order for field verification exercises to be credible they need to verify the location of Mr Mahmudin’s illegal plantations an investigation of the locations of the illegal plantations has not been undertaken by any mill trader or brand exposed in the Carbon Bomb Scandals These illegal palm oil sites are located within the boundaries of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Access to these areas is via a road that starts in Mr Mahmudin’s legal plantation that is outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve RAN also provided the GPS coordinates of this access road in our report (GPS Coordinate 02o44’52” N 97o38’96” E) RAN has provided additional maps below to assist in field verification exercises that aim to visit the site of the destruction of peat forests which is now alleged by RAN to be the location of Mr Mahmudin’s illegal palm oil plantation The maps below show the status of land cover at the location of the illegal plantations between 2017 and 2022 Oil palm from Mr Mahmudin’s illegal plantation inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve was harvested and transported to a collection point in Le Meudama RAN’s report showed that Mr Mahmudin’s illegal palm oil plantations are bearing oil palm fruit and documents that fruits collected from the plantation are being transported to a nearby collection point in Le Meudama village RAN’s field investigators followed the truck with the identification number BL9324 BS from the gateway of Mr Mahmudin’s plantation to the collection point in Le Meudama village The following images show the truck en route to the collection point Some additional images have been provided below to those included in the report with their respective GPS Coordinates GPS Coordinates: 02o44’09.90” N 97o38’36.89” E GPS Coordinates: 02o44’09.79” N 97o38’37.26” E GPS Coordinates: 02o44’09.86” N 97o38’37.26” E  GPS Coordinates: 02o44’09.86” N 97o38’37.26” E The truck arrives at the collection point the Le Meudama village the same afternoon GPS Coordinates: 02o43’55.26” N 97o38’56.40” E  Purchase receipts obtained from workers at the collection point in the Le Meudama village show that brokers CV Natama Prima and CV Buana Indah both source from the collection point at the Le Maudama village which accepts palm oil fruits from Mr Mahmudin’s nearby legal and illegal plantations RAN’s field investigators interviewed workers at the collection point in the Le Meudama village During interviews it was confirmed that two brokers CV Buana Indah and CV Natama Prima collected oil palm from this collection point and delivered the fruits to nearby Crude Palm Oil mills Copies of purchase receipts were obtained that show that CV Buana Indah delivered oil palm fruits collected from this location to the mill PT Runding Putra Persada and CV Navatama Prima delivered oil palm fruits collected from this location to the mill PT A major flaw of these purchase receipts is they do not require brokers to list the location of the collection points or the location of all oil palm fruits collected This opens up this so-called ‘traceability system’ to fraudulent claims such as the claims that have been made by the traders and CV Natama Prima that they have not received palm oil from this collection point Receipt from RAN’s report showing the palm oil broker CV Navatama Prima collects oil palm fruits from Le Meudama village and delivers truck loads of palm oil fruits to PT RAN’s report alleged that the Royal Golden Eagle Group’s palm oil arm called Apical sourced palm oil from Mr Mahmudin’s illegal plantation via a palm oil mill called PT which was being supplied with oil palm fruits from a broker called CV These fruits were supplied via a collection point in Le Meudama village near the boundary of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Apical’s response confirms that its supplier PT Global Sawit Semesta is sourcing from the broker CV Natama Prima GSS is only sourcing from one of Mr Mahmudin’s two collection points and from 3 estates ––all of which are located outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Apical is relying on verification undertaken by PT which claims that CV Natama Prima is not sourcing from the collection point in Le Meudama village––the collection point shown in RAN’s investigation (and above) to be accepting illegally produced palm oil Apical has not undertaken any field verification to determine if the data submitted by CV Natama Prima or PT GSS is accurate Apical states that the receipt shown in RAN’s investigation does not form a valid basis to assume a FFB delivery was made to PT GSS by CV Natama Prima––this is despite the fact that RAN secured the receipt from a worker at the collection point in Le Meudama village The receipt obtained by our investigators was for deliveries made by the broker to the PT GSS mill around the time of the investigation The only reason why this receipt did not list the location of the collection point is because Apical and other traders do not require the brokers in their supply chain to disclose the information on the name and GPS coordinates of the collection points where the FFB was picked up from in these receipts There is also no requirement to list the GPS coordinates for all locations where oil palm fruits have been collected from for each delivery The current system relies on self-reported collated data on supplying concessions and the location of villages where oil palm fruits are collected––a system which is clearly failing to stop illegally produced palm oil from entering supply chains RAN did not claim that these crude palm oil mills are supplying PT All three of these mills are named as they are sourcing from brokers being supplied with illegal palm oil produced inside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GSS’s claim that oil palm fruits from the collection point at Le Meudama village where illegally produced palm oil fruits were collected This is despite the evidence that RAN presented in its report including receipts RAN obtained from the workers at the collection point which showed CV Natama Prima was one of at least two brokers being supplied by this collection point and was shown to be supplying PT Apical has failed to appoint a third party to investigate the case of Mr Mahmudin’s illegal palm oil plantation further GAR states it conducted a spatial analysis but its analysis was limited to overlaying the areas covered by Mr Mahmudin’s land certificates GAR has not presented any evidence in its report that it visited the locations of illegal plantations shown in RAN’s report to be located to the north of Mr Mahmudin’s legal plantation GAR has also not verified the evidence in RAN’s report showing that the broker CV Buana Indah sourced oil palm fruit from the problematic collection point in the Le Meudama village––the collection point that received oil palm fruits grown in Mr Mahmudin’s illegal plantation Musim Mas has confirmed that its supplier PT GSS) sourced palm oil from Mr Mahmudin from another broker called CV Natama Prima Musim Mas also claims that its suppliers sourcing of palm oil is limited to palm oil produced in Mr Mahmudin’s legal plantations that are located outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve––in areas that are a ‘different location from the coordinate stated in RAN’s report.’ Musim Mas cites verification undertaken by the mill PT Musim Mas has not issued a commitment to undertake its own field investigation to determine if RAN’s findings on Mr Mahmudin’s illegal plantations are accurate and if the broker CV Natama Prima selling palm oil to its supplier has also sourced oil palm fruit from the problematic collection point in the Le Meudama village––the collection point that received oil palm fruits grown in Mr Mahmudin’s illegal plantation Musim Mas has responded to the second case of illegal palm oil entering its supply chain from a producer called Ibu Nasti Musim Mas’s spatial analysis confirmed that part of Ibu Nasti’s oil palm plantation is located inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve This finding is in contrast to a letter sent by Ibu Nasti and the Head of Kampong Binanga that states her plantation is located between Pasar Runding village and Oboh Village and is not inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Bangun Sempurna Lestari (BSL)––the mill that sourced from Iby Nasti’s plantation––also confirmed that the location of Ibu Nasti’s plantation is not in line with the requirements to comply with the No Deforestation No Peatland and No Exploitation policies of major traders and brands RPP) has not issued any statements that claim that it will stop sourcing from Mr Mahmudin RPP will persist in sourcing from Mr Mahmudin on the basis of its false claims that Mr Mahmudin doesn’t have illegal plantations located in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Global Sawit Semesta for sourcing illegally produced palm oil from the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GAR does not state that it has issued a No Buy policy for Mr Mahmudin and its supplier PT RPP so we can only assume it is continuing to place its clients at risk of sourcing illegally produced palm oil A major question remaining is whether or not the No Buy policies of the mills on Mr Mahmudin and Ibu Nasti be enforced given that mills in the region have failed to effectively address their sourcing of illegal palm oil grown in the protected reserve since RAN’s last published scandal in 2019 Deforestation for palm oil is on the rise in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Despite being hand delivered the Carbon Bomb Scandals report during a Consumer Goods Forum meeting at Climate Week in New York City––and at Procter & Gamble’s Annual General Meeting in Cincinnati not a single brand exposed in the report has issued a public response to the findings of illegal palm oil in their supply chains No Peatland and No Exploitation” commitments by stopping the expansion of new palm oil plantations in the threatened peat forests in the Leuser Ecosystem RAN is calling on brands to immediately stop sourcing from Mr. Mahmudin & Ibu Nasti’s illegal plantations in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and the mills and refineries shown in our investigation to be sourcing illegal palm oil Mondelēz and Nissin Foods must issue public responses to this scandal and immediately take action to halt business-as-usual practices with their suppliers and not resume sourcing until transparent and verifiable monitoring traceability and compliance systems are in place to protect the lowland rainforests and peatlands of the Singkil-Bengkung region from further destruction irreplaceable and globally important lowland forests of the Leuser Ecosystem is death by a thousand cuts elephants and rhinos depend on this landscape staying intact to avoid imminent extinction Given current documented rates of illegal peatland destruction there is no time left for delays as deforestation continues to rise in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve In order to halt deforestation for illegal palm oil plantations collaborative forest and peatland monitoring and response systems must be established that can enforce NDPE policies throughout supply chains all the way to the forest floor Investments must also be made by brands and traders into long-term solutions that support both the protection and restoration of the Singkil-Bengkung region and the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Forest loss in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve since the december 2015 cut off date for deforestation for palm oil in the ‘NDPE’ policies adopted by major brands Credit: Nusantara Atlas using Planet satellite imagery JAKARTA — Despite various commitments from global brands and the government to protect Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem home to some of the rarest species on Earth development of new palm oil plantations and drainage of carbon-rich peatlands continue in the ecosystem deforestation in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in line with the development of new canals The investigation using satellite and drone footage by the U.S.-based NGO Rainforest Action Network (RAN) found at least 26 kilometers (16 miles) of new canals have been dug so far in 2023 RAN forest policy director Gemma Tillack said vegetation has been bulldozed and peatlands have been drained to make way for the new canals in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve one of the largest remaining peatland forests on the Indonesian island of Sumatra While new plantations appeared to have not been established yet along the new canal channels there was a mosaic of illegal oil palm around the locations of the new canal “So it’s clear the intention is for palm oil,” Tillack told Mongabay The expansion of illegal canals into the reserve is “orchestrated” by local elites who wield power and have access to the resources needed to establish significant oil palm plantations A recent investigation by an association of environmental journalists in Aceh province found that there were elites with capital who have paid locals to clear lands and plant palm oil in the wildlife reserve There were an estimated 300 hectares (740 acres) of illegal plantations within Rawa Singkil The new canals will likely lead to an increase in forest loss in the wildlife reserve In 2022, the reserve lost 700 hectares (1,730 acres) of primary peat-swamp forest — an area twice the size of New York’s Central Park, according to data from the forest loss monitoring platform TheTreeMap making it the highest level of forest loss recorded in the ecosystem since 2001 This year has also seen an increase in deforestation, with 372 hectares (919 acres) of forest loss recorded within the first sixth months of 2023, a satellite imagery analysis by the Aceh-based environmental NGO Forest This marked a 57% increase from the same period in 2022 RAN said the increase in forest loss was the opposite of trends cited in most primary forests across Indonesia This earns the reserve the moniker “orangutan capital of the world.” Tillack said the continued deforestation put critically endangered species like the Sumatran orangutan at risk of extinction in the wild The reserve is also home to some of the last remaining intact habitat for critically endangered Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) and is among the world’s top priority landscapes for conservation because of its carbon-rich peat soils the geographical information system (GIS) manager at HAkA said if the development of new illegal plantations and ongoing destruction of the wildlife reserve are not halted there could be conflicts between wildlife and humans The ongoing deforestation is also disastrous to the climate due to the huge amount of carbon stored in the peat-swamp ecosystems released into the atmosphere Despite the critical roles the reserve plays in biodiversity and climate there is no current program designed to end deforestation for palm oil expansion in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve “There is an urgent need for intervention to halt further deforestation and canal development within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve.” RAN has called on global brands like Procter & Gamble PepsiCo and Unilever to address the development of new canals and illegal plantations as they source from plantations inside the wildlife reserve These brands are exposed to the illegal palm oil as they reportedly source from traders and mills that buy palm fruit from illegal plantations inside the reserve despite the brands having adopted “no deforestation” policies that should prohibit them from buying palm oil that comes from forestland that was cleared after a certain cutoff date These same brands had also pledged to end deforestation in their supply chains by 2020 as members of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) a global organization of 400 consumer goods companies RAN noted that the CGF has failed to issue any statements detailing the actions they have taken in response to the crisis in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve But the actions taken by the three brands weren’t enough Unilever, for instance, has banned two of the mills that source illegal palm oil from the wildlife reserve — PT Global Sawit Semesta and PT Samudera Sawit Nabati — from its supply chain it hasn’t banned two other mills found to be sourcing illegal palm oil — PT Runding Putra Persada and PT Bangun Sempurna Lestari Failure of major brands to respond to the ongoing deforestation in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve might make it difficult for them to sell their products in the European market This is because the EU recently enacted a new law that bans the trading of commodities like palm oil that come from deforestation and illegal sources in the EU Afifuddin Acal, a campaigner at the Aceh chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, Walhi, said illegal clearing inside the wildlife reserve is rampant due to lack of law enforcement against the local elites behind the palm oil operation who is reported to control 4.5 hectares (11 acres) of illegal plantations inside the wildlife reserve RAN said a significant area of the new canal development is concentrated in the area to the north of Ie Meudama village where palm oil from Mahmudin’s illegal plantations is collected The three largest palm oil traders in Indonesia — Musim Mas Golden Agri-Resources and Wilmar — confirmed that they’d indirectly sourced from Mahmudin’s illegal plantations within the wildlife reserve These companies operate the refineries that buy palm fruit from illegal plantations and process it into the various forms of palm oil that then go into consumer goods like snack foods personal care products and instant noodles To remedy the harm done by the illegal activities the traders had secured a commitment from Mahmudin to relinquish all of his illegal plantations inside the wildlife reserve to the authorities for restoration Mahmudin had to show evidence of this in the form of a letter of handover and a receipt of the land release by the end of June this year with an audit to confirm that this had actually been done But the agreement fell apart in June, when Mahmudin was not willing to sign a commitment letter to release the 4-hectares (10 acres) of illegal plantations the three traders have decided to remove Mahmudin from their supply chain and to inform their suppliers in the region to not buy palm oil from Mahmudin Taufik Syamsuddin, a forest ecosystem analyst at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said in July that the owners of illegal plantations in the wildlife reserve would have to pay fines as punishment and return their concessions to the state This applies to plantations that had been established illegally before the 2020 law on job creation an omnibus law that brings sweeping changes to the country’s regulations including those related to the environment and agriculture Taufik said the government had established a task force to solve the issue of illegal palm oil inside conservation areas like Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve the government will need to identify all the parties involved in the illegal operation “Believe that the government is present to solve [the issue]. We’re not standing still. We’re not just watching. We will solve this. We will find the solution,” Taufik said as quoted by Kompas newspaper Banner image: Significant areas of forests are being cleared inside Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve to make way for new illegal palm oil plantations Image courtesy of Rainforest Action Network (RAN)>  Authorities in Aceh province on Monday began tearing down several small Christian churches after hard-line Muslims demanded their closure Tensions are high among the ethnically and religiously diverse population of Aceh Singkil where last week a mob burned down a church leaving one person dead and forcing thousands of Christians to flee the area Armed police and military troops have been deployed to the area and evacuees have returned Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population and the vast majority of its citizens practice a moderate form of the religion Aceh is its only province to implement Islamic shariah law as it was granted autonomy as part of a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of separatist violence Police in Aceh Singkil district used sledgehammers and axes to tear down the churches – little more than small wooden structures – as Christian members of the community looked on we are going ahead with it," said Paima Brutu caretaker of one Protestant church that was closed "We have applied for the building permit again and again so at this point all we're asking the government is to be allowed to have that permit," he said The closures come after a meeting on Sunday of local political and religious figures in which all sides agreed to close the houses of worship including members of the hard-line group Islamic Defenders Front the communities live in peace with each other and there is no pressure to close down these churches," said Genti Brutu the chief of Siompin village in Aceh Singkil where at least three churches were torn down "But what we are told is that it is a matter of permits so we have to abide by the rules Dozens of armored security vehicles patrolled the streets of a cluster of villages where at least 10 churches are slated to be demolished in the coming days GPS: N 2°50’51.0” E 97°43’14’’ Rainforest Action Network (RAN) conducted a series of undercover investigations in 2019 into the alarming destruction of peat forests occurring within the globally important lowland rainforests of Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem The field research was conducted to determine if the forest clearance was being driven by major snack food brands even though these brands had adopted policies years ago to end deforestation in their supply chains The results of the investigations are definitive Palm oil is being grown illegally inside the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and that oil is being used to manufacture snack foods sold across the world by Unilever ***Click here to jump down to the full report The Leuser Ecosystem’s Singkil-Bengkung region — which includes the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and the connecting lowland rainforests — is a global hotspot for biological diversity It is one of the highest priority conservation landscapes in the world as it consists of ancient carbon-rich peatlands and provides critical habitat for endangered Sumatran elephants The brands named here have been found purchasing palm oil from mills that have continued to source palm oil resulting from the illegal clearing of lowland rainforests within the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve These mills are located immediately next to areas of illegal encroachment into the Leuser Ecosystem and lack the necessary procedures to trace the location where the palm oil they sell is grown a key requirement for complying with the No Deforestation No Exploitation (NDPE) policies all of these brands have publicly committed to RAN’s investigations also expose glaring hypocrisy by global banks The expansion of Conflict Palm Oil into this region is being driven by banks who are financing major palm oil traders which are active in the region Dutch bank ABN Amro and Singapore’s OCBC appear to not even be complying with their own policies as their client continues to source illegal palm oil grown in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Progress has been made by some companies implementing their NDPE policies but the findings of these investigations show that paper promises are not enough to keep the forests from falling and the Singkil-Bengkung region in particular still offers a rare and fleeting opportunity to get it right and avoid the devastating mistakes made throughout so much of Indonesia in the past It remains possible here to prevent the destruction of habitat which drives iconic wildlife species toward extinction to avert the human suffering from inevitable floods and landslides caused by deforestation and to end the reckless burning of carbon-filled peatlands contributing to the climate crisis RAN is demanding that companies caught contributing to this destruction stop buying palm oil sourced from the rogue mills identified or financing the culprits processing and shipping illegal palm oil to the global market until transparent and verifiable monitoring traceability and compliance systems are established to ensure they are only sourcing truly responsible palm oil ***To read the full report, click here or page through it below: Hover over the image above then click the arrows shown in the bar along the bottom to review the report or download the report here In recent weeks, following years of reported declines in deforestation by palm oil companies, new reports are documenting an alarming uptick in forest destruction for palm oil across Indonesia This concerning trend is clearly evident in the lush carbon-rich rainforests in the south west of Indonesia’s world-renowned Leuser Ecosystem RAN is releasing fresh footage of deforestation within a globally important biodiversity hotspot amidst some of the last remaining lowland rainforests of the Leuser Ecosystem Satellite analysis shows shockingly large-scale clearance by a new rogue actor––called PT Sawit Panen Terus––that has cleared over 1333 hectares (2800 acres) in the last year alone the evidence reveals that the rate of clearing has accelerated in the last 6 months ATAK) that has been constructed nearby may also be a driver of this case of plantation establishment It is clear that these efforts have failed to establish collaborative forest monitoring and response systems that are effective in halting deforestation across the district of Subulussalam The images and maps below show the destruction caused by PT Sawit Panen Terus to the lowland rainforests inside and adjacent to the Leuser Ecosystem: Sawit Panen Terus to destroy significant areas of lowland rainforest in the Leuser Ecosystem GPS Coordinate: 2°47’23.1″N 97°59’05.1″E Large scale clearance of rainforests by PT Sawit Panen Terus for a new palm oil plantation in the district of Subulussalam GPS Coordinates 2°47’19.9″N 97°58’45.0″E GPS Coordinates 2°47’19.9″N 97°58’45.0″E GPS Coordinate 2°47’23.1″N 97°59’05.1″E GPS Coordinates 2°47’19.9″N 97°59’05.0″E Sawit Panen Terus’s clearing of lowland rainforests for a new palm oil plantation in the district of Subulussalam The map shows parts of the lowland rainforest that have been cleared and are located within the boundary of the Leuser Ecosystem (shown by green line) The Singkil-Bengkung rainforest in the Leuser Ecosystem presents an increasingly rare opportunity because it is still not too late to achieve top priority carbon sequestration and conservation goals Deforestation is on the rise across the Singkil-Bengkung Region and the main driver is palm oil expansion threatened wildlife and the global climate demand a thoughtful solution-oriented approach by all parties to achieve long term conservation goals and sustainable economic prosperity The global market now demands palm oil that is free of deforestation Urgent action is needed to reverse the decade-long trend of deforestation draining and burning of the Singkil-Bengkung peatlands; to minimize flooding events along the once stable and meandering Alas and Bengkung Rivers; and to address the economic impoverishment that drives wildlife poaching Global brands –– and therefore their customers –– remain exposed to deforestation-tainted Conflict Palm Oil This problem continues due to a lack of investment in traceability and compliance systems competition for higher- quality oil palm fruit amongst a network of underperforming mills and an absence of capacity building in best agricultural practices There is an opportunity to diversify economies and drive investments in low-carbon small-scale agriculture that respect the rights of communities and smallholder farmers to manage their lands and enable the long-term protection and management of peatlands and lowland rainforests critical for the survival of the Sumatran orangutans together with the brands and palm oil companies responsible for the impacts of the profit- driven plantation agriculture model Collaborative forest and peatland monitoring and response systems must be established that can enforce their policies throughout supply chains all the way to the forest floor in the Leuser Ecosystem The systems that are in place are clearly failing to halt new deforestation for palm oil Investments must also be made by brands like  Mars Colgate Palmolive in long-term solutions that support the protection and restoration of the Singkil-Bengkung region and the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve The harm caused to the environment and communities whose customary rights have not been recognized must be addressed Much-needed improvements to the palm oil industry which is relied upon by tens of thousands of smallholder farmers stakeholders must develop a common and just vision to halt the destruction of the Singkil-Bengkung region crunch—my every footstep made a crackling sound like a rustling bag of potato chips Underneath the crunchy stuff was something almost fluffy He’s been working in this area for decades acrobatically transitioning between the local community visiting the Aceh Selatan Regency deep in the northern part of Sumatra for the first time in my life was being somewhat of an acrobat stepping on the surface of dried peat Peat is partially-decayed vegetation and organic material you name it: any organic matter that can be found decomposing on forest floor can end up being frozen in time by waterlogged conditions Over time this build-up creates an acidic substrate where a special type of tropical forest can grow “Private companies were racing to obtain license over this area,” he added the companies built canals to dry the waterlogged peat and make way for plantation farming of cash crops alarming when compared to the natural pace at which all of the decayed vegetation piled up Singkil swamp—or Rawa Singkil in the local tongue—is actually a wildlife sanctuary This legal status means the forest should be managed as a protected area mismanagement and unclear boundaries between lands designated for different uses have torn apart this area over the years Overlapping maps of national and local government have been used as a loophole by irresponsible individuals and companies and thus many land concessions are traversing into sanctuary areas the local community was left uninformed on this sanctuary whereabouts Nizar and his team were familiar with instances of villagers harvesting timber or settlements within the sanctuary area In 2011, KEHATI foundation—the Indonesian Biodiversity Conservation Trust Fund—was founded to support Nizar and his organization in establishing clear boundary marking for Suaka Margasatwa Rawa Singkil (Rawa Singkil Wildlife Sanctuary) through the TFCA-Sumatera project They asked local community to be actively involved in participatory mapping of the boundaries between their villages and the sanctuary This team also facilitated sessions with the private sector in order to formulate solutions over the location of published licenses Nizar and his team have marked 227 km of it with permanent boundary markings Their team involved the local community in efforts to restore the forest we will not be here anymore.” Nizar abruptly fell silent to the sound of chainsaw in the distance The fate of this forest is in their hands.” Nizar’s voice clearly resonated in my head when I heard Dr Ingrid Öborn in her closing remarks at the Global Landscapes Forum: Peatlands Matter where she stated simply: “peatlands matter But there is no one solution for peatland restoration And the local community has to be involved Dr. Öborn’s words closed the talk show-style breakout session panel at the GLF entitled “People and peat: Livelihoods in context.” private sector actors and communities gathered in air conditioned rooms in Jakarta They presented and shared research results The session that I caught through online streaming seemed to unanimously agree upon multi-stakeholder efforts towards peatland restoration in Indonesia the researchers insisting on collecting comprehensive data before moving on to the next steps struck me as a delay we cannot afford I remember the sun was too bright and peatlands were draining fast in Singkil The crunchy sun-dried top layer of peat beneath my feet Tropical Forest Conservation Action for Sumatra (TFCA-Sumatera) is a debt for nature swap program between the US government and the Government of Indonesia the TFCA-Sumatera fund is aiming to conserve Indonesian tropical forest and its biodiversity in Sumatra Island an additional amount was added on top of existing TFCA-Sumatera fund This additional fund is designed to support conservation of Sumatran endangered flagship species The total amount of fund managed under the TFCA-Sumatera program is up to USD 42 million KEHATI is the administrator of TFCA-Sumatera Our mission is to make them freely accessible to everyone We believe that lasting and impactful change starts with changing the way people think That’s why we amplify the diverse voices the world needs to hear – from local restoration leaders to Indigenous communities and women who lead the way not only are you supporting the world’s largest knowledge-led platform devoted to sustainable and inclusive landscapes but you’re also becoming a vital part of a global movement that’s working tirelessly to create a healthier world for us all Every donation counts – no matter the amount The Global Landscapes Forum proves digital conferencing holds massive advantages for climate Scientists have created a global series of forest carbon flux maps which can allow policymakers to better select forests for protection ThinkLandscape is a multimedia platform bringing you original knowledge-backed news and feature stories about climate and landscape solutions from around the world Orangutans have been losing habitat for a long time drained and cleared for palm-oil plantations at a shocking pace The three coastal peat swamp forests of Aceh province — Tripa Kluet and Singkil  — are among the species’ most precious natural habitats Home to almost a third of Sumatra’s orangutans Tripa — which has already been 70 per cent cleared — has lost more than 80 per cent of its population to forest hunting this time in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve In 2012 I learned about the incredible Leuser Ecosystem orangutans and even rhinos still exist in the same forest system It was the last intact forest that could sustain viable populations of these critically endangered species left in Sumatra high mountain peaks covered in cloud forests tropical lowlands perfect for elephants and tigers and peat swamps that ran down the West coast with more orangutans per square kilometer than any other place on the planet It was quite literally the ‘Orangutan capital of the World’ It is truly one of the last wild places in Asia It’s just raw nature and that’s what fascinated me all those years ago Ever since then I’ve returned every year to document the beauty we heard about the peat swamps being cleared for expansion of palm oil I’d covered this kind of clearing here before It was cleared so quickly and now with less than 30 percent of the forest cover intact This is where I witnessed orangutans being ripped out of their home forests I realized it was so wrong on so many levels His home forest was lost to palm oil expansion Now it’s happening all over again in Singkil I struggled to capture the devastation in a single image We counted at least 20 large blocks of forest that had been cleared some already replanted with palm oil trees According to local conservationists the local communities are being exploited This destruction is driven not by need but by greed Powerful individuals with capital to fund and drive the encroachment into the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve making it look like small-holder farmers are in need of land and innocently encroached into wildlife habitat Forest clearing in Singkil was done with heavy machinery canals were dug using industrial size backhoe Further highlighting the powerful forces behind this destruction New canals are being established that drain water from the peat swamps drying out the carbon-rich peat soils below the forests Water tables drop as the newly planted palm oil is so thirsty wells that once remained full for days if not weeks Topsoil is lost and now with the ongoing threats of the climate crisis decomposing ancient forest for thousands of years deep in the peat all the carbon is released into the atmosphere and unknown viruses are released and you’d think governments would have more political will to do something It’s a sickness that will consume all of us When we lose the planet’s life support systems Our relationship with the natural world needs to change fast But we also have everything thing we need to stop the extinction and to allow the natural world to flourish once again Internationally-acclaimed conservation photojournalist Paul Hilton is a wildlife crime consultant and has partnered with some of the largest conservation NFPs WildAid and the Oceanic Preservation Society becoming renowned for photojournalism that opens our eyes to faraway places and brings dangerous stories into our living rooms Paul has spent decades documenting deforestation focussing on land clearing and the illegal wildlife trade in Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem; following the shark-fin trade across the globe from the fishing ports of Yemen and the Middle East to the high seas of the Pacific and Indian oceans; documenting life onboard long-lining fleets from Taiwan and Indonesia; in the dried seafood markets of Southern China and Hong Kong; documenting a newly-discovered blue whale migration; satellite tagging of humpback whales; and documenting sustainable pole-and-line tuna fisheries worldwide an in-depth look into deforestation and habitat destruction and its impact on the Australian continent www.paulhiltonphotography.com Indonesia is recognized as having the second greatest biodiversity in the world (after Brazil) and is noted for its globally important tropical forest The Greater Leuser ecosystem (of which Rawa Singkil is a part) provides habitat for Indonesia’s densest populations of orangutans and the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger The Greater Leuser ecosystem is the only place in the world where all four species can be found together however; the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve is under threat from palm oil plantations and logging activity which has led to the degradation of sensitive coastal peatland ecosystems in parts of Indonesia At the request of the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry were selected to assist the Wildlife Reserve in building its technical capacity related to peatland hydrology management and wetland restoration for an important coastal peat swamp in the Reserve composed of NPS and Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry staff members discussed restoration plans for the Trumon Resort Pilot Restoration Project This included reviews of existing vegetation and proposed vegetative plantings Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go We know that Conflict Palm Oil is a major driver of tropical deforestation But the palm oil supply chain is intentionally murky so that no one person or company can be held accountable for the environmental crimes and human rights violations that occur along the way That’s why we go undercover — to conduct in-depth field research that reveals exactly who’s doing the damage And the evidence shows that the palm oil destroying critical rainforests in Indonesia is ending up in U.S RAN has released a new video that shares the truth behind the industry destroying some of our most critical rainforests in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve located in the 6.5 million acre Leuser Ecosystem of Sumatra This growing crisis shows that the claims being made by global brands on efforts to address their impact on the climate and ending deforestation and destruction of peatlands in their supply chains simply can’t be trusted It is crystal clear that the destruction of the primary forests in the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve persists under their watch The problem is that the palm oil industry is expanding illegally within the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Usually palm oil companies have to operate on government granted concessions of land––and even these are mired in controversy––but our team of investigators has uncovered a network of palm oil grown illegally outside of government concessions that has then ended up in the global supply chains of major brands that many of us have in our homes So how do we connect this destruction to these well known brands We caught a local businessman named Mr Mahmudin selling illegal palm oil grown inside the reserve to mills in the supply chains of these brands He operates an illegal palm oil plantation inside the reserve and a second facility in the Ie Meudama village where the palm oil fruits are collected Once these fruits are collected they get shipped off to surrounding palm oil mills and eventually sold into the global supply chain Palm oil supply chains are intentionally very murky with a lot of middlemen Golden Agri Resources and Apical of the Royal Golden Eagle Group––do not publish the details of where they source palm oil from––data showing the networks of middlemen and the mills in their supply chains These companies don’t want us to be able to link them back to Conflict Palm Oil This lack of transparency is a major liability in brands’ability to comply with the imminent legal requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and urgently needs to change Up until recently we haven’t been able to pinpoint these middlemen We’ve collected tons of data on the various plantations where palm oil is being grown and the mills that are selling them to the global market but the in-between steps have been blurry Our investigation team has gone undercover to map out the palm oil middlemen delivering palm oil from plantations inside the Leuser Ecosystem to nearby mills These brokers are key to the industry because they’re responsible for laundering illegal and deforestation tainted palm oil into Global Supply chains Map showing the collection points (in green) used by middlemen––brokers––in the palm oil supply chains that are supplying palm oil to the Crude Palm Oil mills (Yellow) in Aceh Tamiang and Langkat Part of the north-east of the Leuser Ecosystem is located in Aceh Tamiang and Langkat––the two districts that are in close proximity to refineries that supply major global brands By being able to fully map out the locations of the palm oil collection points name the brokers and the mills that they supply to we can apply more targeted pressure to stop deforestation and the expansion of illegal palm oil in the Leuser ecosystem and tell companies like Procter and Gamble and Mondelez exactly who they need to suspend business with We encourage you to republish Dialogue Earth articles, online or in print, under the Creative Commons license. Please read our republishing guidelines to get started Kellogg’s and Hershey have been getting some of their palm oil from an illegal plantation inside a protected forest that holds the highest density of critically endangered orangutans anywhere on Earth The report is based on field investigations interviews and transaction records analysed by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) It shows that local brokers are buying palm fruit from oil palms planted illegally inside the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Indonesia’s Aceh province are then supplying the fruit to processing mills located immediately next to areas of illegal encroachment in the Leuser Ecosystem An oil palm plantation in Rawa Singking Wildlife Reserve an ostensibly protected area (Image: Junaidi Hanafiah for Mongabay Indonesia) RAN reports that these mills then supply the processed palm oil to global traders namely Singapore-listed Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) and Indonesia’s Musim Mas Group to a who’s who of household consumer brands All of these palm oil traders and brands have adopted policies committing them to “No Deforestation No Exploitation” (NDPE) in the sourcing of their raw ingredients the mills where the Rawa Singkil-sourced palm fruit is processed lack the necessary procedures to trace the provenance of the crop RAN’s investigation also calls out global banks including Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group for continuing to finance major palm oil traders “The authors of this report are demanding that companies caught contributing to this destruction stop buying palm oil sourced from the rogue mills identified here traceability and compliance systems are established to ensure they are only sourcing truly responsible palm oil,” RAN said Forest area that has been cleared to make way for oil palm cultivation in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve (Image: Junaidi Hanafiah for Mongabay Indonesia) RAN said GAR had confirmed that six of its supplying mills were located near Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and that five had not established traceability to the farm or plantation where the palm fruit they source is grown The report said GAR had set new targets for its mills to achieve traceability to the plantation by the end of 2020 “While the company denied deforestation by referring to the findings of field investigations in 2017 and 2018 outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the Singkil-Bengkung region it did not comment on non-compliant suppliers within the nationally protected area or confirm its intention to instigate the results of RAN’s investigation,” the report added RAN said Musim Mas had confirmed that nine of its supplying mills were located near the wildlife reserve and that it had set the end of 2020 as the deadline for tracing the provenance of all its palm oil sourced from the region The company also says it plans to increase its direct engagement with smallholder farmers seeking secure land titles and support for improvements in agricultural practices Musim Mas confirmed that it would verify the findings of RAN’s investigate and communicate to supplying mills that it would not accept palm oil products grown in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve Many of the consumer brands named in the RAN report told Reuters that they would verify the findings while keeping their commitment to sustainable practices in palm oil production and supply chain management Encroachment and forest clearing for a plantation in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve (Image: Junaidi Hanafiah/Mongabay Indonesia) A map showing the location of Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve on the island of Sumatra (Image: courtesy of Google Earth) on the northwestern coast of the island of Sumatra is home to the densest population of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) in the Leuser Ecosystem More than 75,000 hectares of peat forests remain in the Singkil peatland and are afforded the highest levels of protection under Indonesian law in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve local conservationists have raised concerns about changes to its boundaries to accommodate palm oil development The size of the protected area has declined from 102,400 hectares to 80,000 hectares In the past 10 years, more than 3,000 hectares of critical lowland forest habitat within Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve has been cleared, largely for new oil palm plantations A wide network of roads and drainage canals have been built to allow the deep peat soil to be drained and planted with oil palms This article was originally published by Mongabay Read our ongoing series on palm oil here Basten Gokkon is a Jakarta-based writer with interest in wildlife conservation Select from our bespoke newsletters for news best suited to you We’ve sent you an email with a confirmation link 我们向您的邮箱发送了一封确认邮件，请点击邮件中的确认链接。如果您未收到该邮件，请查看垃圾邮件。 If you would like more information about the terms of our republication policy or permission to use content, please write to us: [email protected] We 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By continuing to use our site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Read our privacy and cookies policy for further information Dialogue Earth uses cookies to provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser It allows us to recognise you when you return to Dialogue Earth and helps us to understand which sections of the website you find useful Required Cookies should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings Dialogue Earth - Dialogue Earth is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting a common understanding of the world's urgent environmental challenges. Read our privacy policy Cloudflare - Cloudflare is a service used for the purposes of increasing the security and performance of web sites and services. Read Cloudflare's privacy policy and terms of service Dialogue Earth uses several functional cookies to collect anonymous information such as the number of site visitors and the most popular pages Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to improve our website Google Analytics - The Google Analytics cookies are used to gather anonymous information about how you use our websites. We use this information to improve our sites and report on the reach of our content. Read Google's privacy policy and terms of service This website uses the following additional cookies: execute and analyze marketing programs with greater ease and efficiency while enabling publishers to maximize their returns from online advertising Note that you may see cookies placed by Google for advertising under the Google.com or DoubleClick.net domains Twitter - Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest stories opinions and news about what you find interesting Simply find the accounts you find compelling and follow the conversations Linkedin - LinkedIn is a business- and employment-oriented social networking service that operates via websites and mobile apps Encroachers have been clearing forest at three locations in Aceh’s biggest peat swamp since February analysis of Landsat satellite imagery by environmental group Greenomics-Indonesia shows on the western coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province and the island of Sumatra is home to the densest population of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans in the Leuser Ecosystem It is not yet clear who is responsible for the deforestation, but encroachment for oil palm happens frequently in the area and Greenomics suspects that is probably the case here Greenomics Executive Director Vanda Mutia Dewi said she had submitted a formal complaint to the Environment and Forestry Ministry Greenomics confirmed the findings with a field check in May Undercover field investigations in Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem implicate big name brands in destruction of carbon-rich peatlands in violation of their own deforestation policies ***View full case study investigation here San Francisco- Rainforest Action Network (RAN) conducted a series of undercover field investigations in 2019 to determine if the alarming destruction of peat forests occurring within the globally important lowland rainforests of Sumatra’s Leuser Ecosystem was being driven by major snack food brands and banks even though these companies had adopted policies years ago to end deforestation in their supply chains grown illegally at the expense of the protected peat forests of Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in Indonesia’s world-renowned Leuser Ecosystem is being used to manufacture snack foods sold across the world by Unilever “The evidence resulting from our investigations is unequivocal,” said Gemma Tillack with Rainforest Action Network “Despite the fact that these big name brands publicly promised to end deforestation for snack foods years ago they are still sourcing from the companies driving palm oil plantation expansion into the heart of one of the highest priority conservation landscapes for addressing the climate crisis and wildlife extinction on the planet: the lowland peat forests of the Leuser Ecosystem.” “The mills investigated here simply do not have the basic systems in place to ensure their palm oil is not driving rainforest destruction so no company with a no-deforestation commitment can buy from them in good faith to their existing policy.” The health of the Leuser Ecosystem’s Singkil-Bengkung landscape — comprised of the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve the Kluet peatland and the connecting lowland rainforests — is internationally significant because of its expanses of ancient which are among the most valuable and effective natural carbon sinks on earth when drained and cleared as documented here these peat soils transform into carbon bombs that emit catastrophic levels of pollution into the atmosphere for years on end In the lead up to the 2015 UN COP Paris Agreement negotiations driven primarily for palm oil plantation expansion were emitting more carbon pollution into the atmosphere than the entire United States economy combined It has been estimated that the carbon emissions alone of fires across these two peatlands could contribute up to 7% of Indonesia’s total annual emissions undermining Indonesia’s ability to deliver on its committed contributions to The Paris Agreement lowland rainforest has been dubbed the ‘orangutan capital of the world,’ as it is home to the highest population densities of critically endangered orangutans anywhere This includes a culturally distinct subpopulation of a few thousand individuals which demonstrate social structures and tool-using behaviors unique from all other orangutan populations The Singkil-Bengkung region also contains some of the best remaining breeding habitat for critically endangered Sumatran rhinos “The Singkil-Bengkung region of the Leuser Ecosystem presents a rare opportunity to still get it right,” said RAN spokesperson Laurel Sutherlin but without real action by snack food companies and major banks this priceless treasure and globally important natural carbon sink will be lost to a death by a thousand cuts.” RAN is demanding that brands caught contributing to this destruction stop buying palm oil sourced from the rogue mills identified in the investigation until the mills establish transparent and verifiable monitoring traceability and compliance systems to ensure they are only sourcing truly responsible palm oil RAN calls on companies to place offending producers on no-buy lists and for banks to make future financing to the implicated culprits conditional on ending sourcing of illegal palm oil and strengthening monitoring and third party supplier compliance systems JAKARTA — Deforestation associated with oil palm cultivation has declined in recent years in Indonesia but in a biodiversity haven at the northern tip of Sumatra the forest is being cleared at record pace Last year’s deforestation is 12 times greater than in 2021 Separate satellite imagery analysis by Aceh-based environmental NGO Forest Nature and Environment Aceh (HAkA) also showed an almost identical amount of forest loss in 2022: 716 hectares (1,770 acres) “The 2022 deforestation is more than the deforestation of the previous four years combined,” Lukmanul Hakim and is among the top priority landscapes for conservation in the world because of its carbon-rich peat soils Yet despite the reserve’s critical importance large swaths of it continue to be destroyed for industrial agriculture Much of this is driven by well-connected local elites mirroring the larger trend across Indonesia according to U.S.-based NGO Rainforest Action Network (RAN) And illegal palm oil from this nationally protected ecosystem ends up in the supply chains of the world’s biggest traders of the commodity as well as global brands like Procter & Gamble (P&G) HAkA’s Lukmanul said the deforestation trend in Rawa Singkil is an outlier, as forest loss is declining elsewhere in the Leuser Ecosystem. He pointed to the UNESCO-listed Gunung Leuser National Park another conservation area inside the Leuser Ecosystem that the national park lost 179 hectares (442 acres) of forest the lowest rate since HAkA began monitoring deforestation in the Leuser Ecosystem in 2015 RAN forest policy director Gemma Tillack called the increase in forest loss in Rawa Singkil “alarming.” “This continued destruction places critically endangered species like the Sumatran orangutan at risk of extinction in the wild,” she told Mongabay the head of Aceh provincial conservation agency which manages protected areas in the province previously attributed deforestation in Rawa Singkil to illegal encroachment and logging we found these encroachers burn areas that have non-forest status but they also burn [land] in the wildlife reserve,” he said last September “We often have difficulty extinguishing the fires [in the reserve] because of the fires on the non-forest lands.” Agus suggested providing alternative forms of livelihoods to the people living near the reserve to make it less lucrative for them to encroaching into Rawa Singkil Tillack said the deforestation within the reserve is driven by local elites These locally influential individuals wield power and have access to the resources needed to establish significant oil palm plantations Often this power stems from a position afforded to them through their current or past work in government-related institutions RAN says it has identified two local businesspeople who are allegedly behind some of the deforestation Mahmudin is reported to control 4.5 hectares (11 acres) of illegal plantations inside the wildlife reserve while Nasti allegedly controls 8 hectares (20 acres) Tillack said RAN last year noticed an increase in deforestation within the reserve from satellite monitoring They found a substantive amount of forest clearing around the two illegal plantations “[The deforestation is] presented as a smallholder problem that it’s the community doing it,” Tillack said it’s the local elites that are these influential individuals that are behind this clearing.” She said the case of these two plantations is only the tip of the iceberg as there are an estimated 300 hectares (740 acres) of illegal plantations within Rawa Singkil RAN’s investigation also revealed that palm oil from the two plantations ended up in the supply chains of major brands like P&G These brands are exposed to the illegal palm oil as they reportedly source from traders and mills that buy palm fruit from the two plantations fruit from Nasti’s plantation were found to be collected and transported to a processing mill that’s known to supply Musim Mas — a major refinery operator that’s also a supplier to the likes of P&G Tillack said these major brands have adopted “no deforestation” policies that should prohibit them from buying palm oil that comes from forestland that was cleared after a certain cutoff date These same brands have also pledged to end deforestation in their supply chains by 2020 And some are also members of the Forest Positive Coalition of Action — a so-called leading initiative of consumer goods brands and retailers taking collective action to end commodity-driven deforestation Yet their continued sourcing from illegal plantations renders all these commitments hollow “There has been continual deforestation since [the] companies’ adopted cutoff date [of 2015],” she said “So it has been seven years of failure to implement no-deforestation policies and impose [a forest-clearing] moratorium in this area which is the most important habitat left for the Sumatran orangutan and it’s literally disappearing under the watch of major brands and traders which claim they have been monitoring it.” RAN also highlighted the role of traders like Apical (part of the Royal Golden Eagle Group accusing them of tainting the global supply chain with illegal palm oil from Rawa Singkil these companies operate the refineries that buy palm fruit from the illegal plantations and process it into the various forms of palm oil that then go into consumer goods like snack foods Musim Mas and GAR previously denied the allegation that their supply chain was tainted with illegal palm oil They acknowledged at the time that they sourced palm fruit from Mahmudin but only from his legal plantations located outside the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve GAR and Wilmar confirmed that they’d indirectly sourced from illegal plantations within the wildlife reserve This about-turn came after the three largest palm oil traders in Indonesia sent field verification teams into the wildlife reserve GAR and Wilmar together carried out field verification in November 2022 They found that Mahmudin was only licensed to operate 29 hectares (72 acres) of plantations outside the reserve and not the 4.5-hectare plantation inside it Mahmudin told the verification team that he wasn’t aware of the boundaries of the wildlife reserve and the team didn’t find any boundary markers such as demarcation pegs ditches or signboards around Mahmudin’s illegal plantation Musim Mas sent its own verification team to the field in November 2022 It said illegal palm oil from Rawa Singkil could still end up in its supply chain despite its no-deforestation policies because of the difficulty of tracing the provenance of palm oil back to the plantation level palm fruit from restricted areas is mixed with fruit from acceptable sources in small quantities so as not to be noticeable this type of issues can be captured through traceability to plantation implementation at the suppliers’ mill level but no system can guarantee 100% assurance,” Musim Mas told Mongabay in an email “Maintaining constant traceability to plantation at all time is challenging.” Even when a mill says it can trace 100% of the palm fruit that it processes down to the plantation level in reality there are still problems on the ground Wilmar and Musim Mas — bought palm oil from a smaller mill called PT Runding Putra Persada (RPP) which made the 100% traceability claim in a 2021 report upon checking the mill’s list of palm fruit suppliers GAR and Wilmar’s verification team found that RPP hadn’t been implementing the traceability system properly “There is no mechanism for assessing potential suppliers (Due Diligence); no dedicated team running and monitoring the TTP process; and its data collection of [palm fruit] suppliers is patchy and inconsistent,” GAR and Wilmar concluded in their report on the case Tillack said this shows how no brands or traders have been able to achieve 100% traceability “So there’s still a traceability crisis,” she said the traders secured a commitment from Mahmudin to relinquish all of his illegal plantation inside the wildlife reserve to the authorities GAR and Wilmar said Mahmudin had to show evidence of this in the form of a letter of handover and a receipt of the land release by the end of June this year with an audit to confirm that this was actually done Musim Mas said this land release is its current main goal in the case “This is still an ongoing project we are working on with our supplier,” the company said RAN said this is “a first for a major global brand.” But P&G also said it had decided not to suspend Mahmudin because he had committed to remedying the harm that his illegal plantation had caused This is pending further progress and it’s still possible P&G may suspend Mahmudin Tillack criticized P&G’s decision to continue sourcing from Mahmudin, saying it shows the company isn’t complying with its own palm oil sourcing policy The policy states that “If our supplier does not acknowledge and take action to remediate the incident we will suspend or eliminate palm purchases from that supplier A supplier would need to have a documented action plan and demonstrate meaningful progress to be considered for reinstating supply agreements.” “If the land in question is already producing Fresh Fruit Bunches (‘FFB’) supplier will ensure no FFB or palm from the area is supplied to P&G.” That should give brands like P&G and traders like Musim Mas every reason to stop sourcing from Mahmudin and other illegal plantation operators until an action plan to remedy the harm is carried out These big companies also need to invest and work collectively in monitoring and protecting the Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve from further destruction The fact that illegal palm oil from protected areas like a wildlife reserve can still make its way into the supply chains of major traders and global brands that have adopted no-deforestation policies for years means that the current system to trace palm oil to the plantation level and protect forests is failing This case should spur them into working together on a collective monitoring and traceability system as well as a compliance system to protect Rawa Singkil and the greater Leuser Ecosystem from further destruction “[It] shows that the individual effort to monitor deforestation in Rawa Singkil is failing and we need a scale-up of response from the industry to stop and reverse this worrying trend,” Tillack said This is especially important as more markets demand sustainable palm oil, with the European Union set to adopt a law that will ban the trading of goods that come from deforestation and illegal sources It will require firms working in deforestation hotspots to certify that their goods don’t come from the clearing of forests after the cutoff date Dec companies would have to trace their commodities back to where they were produced down to the precise geographical information for the plantations where the raw crops were grown there has to be geolocation data,” Tillack said “But it’s clear from our report that there’s no brand and trader that could achieve that [at the moment] There needs to be investment so that these [traceability and monitoring] systems are adequate enough.” Banner image: A Sumatran orangutan hangs in a tree which would previously have been counted as Sumatran orangutans April 12: A neatly tied bundle of leafy vegetables at a farmer’s market recently caught the attention of this reporter who had never seen it before there was a whiff of a fruity scent about it Thus was this reporter’s introduction to ‘daun singkil’ a wild local vegetable that is commonly foraged for in rural areas where it is then brought home to consume or to mix into and garnish their dishes Some locals here also call the vegetable ‘daun bebuas’ It can be eaten or used as a herb to cook meat fish and vegetables or for garnishing as an aromatic to a dish A vegetable seller at the farmer’s market said that the vegetable is in demand because people like to use it as a garnish in a spiced porridge like ‘bubur pedas’ during the holy month of Ramadan as well as a herb in beef or mutton dishes “But I like to use it as a garnish in my simple fried bamboo shoot dishes The fruity smell brings an extra aroma to the simple dish which is appetising,” she told DayakDaily when met recently “It is not commonly used or consumed in our dishes as we are more familiar with other wild vegetables like many species of wild ferns mushrooms and local and leafy herbs or roots like ‘tepus’ She revealed that as the vegetable is in demand some people have started to grow it in their gardens due to potential commercial value We consume it by using it in meat or fish dishes It gets rid of the some meat or fish smell This helps to make the dish more appetising to the palate,” she explained A small bundle of ‘daun singkil’ at the farmer’s market is often priced at RM2 According to its Wikipedia entry (https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebuas) it can also be consumed as ‘ulam’ or salad and made into herbal tea The vegetable can also be blanced and dipped into ‘sambal belacan’ (fermented prawn paste cooked with sambal) ‘budu'(fermented anchovies) and ‘cencaluk’ (fermented shrimp) before it is consumed It is also believed to have health benefits and is used as traditional medicine or in tonic drinks by Malay and Chinese communities JOIN NOW Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism Great has been the harm done in the name of religion Religion of course has done much good. But we cannot deny that religion has brought much harm as well. We all have stories to tell And yet religious harm can be more forceful if it comes in another form — whenever those who inflict it do not even realize what they’re doing For this we have many stories to tell as well Think, for example, of the evangelicals who distributed Bibles in Marawi in 2017 there was nothing wrong in inserting Bibles in their hygiene kits they simply wanted to “help.” And yet the Maranao were offended Another example is from the recent Sinulog Dancers from Cebu Technological University (CTU) performed the Singkil in honor of the Santo Niño Singkil is a traditional dance widely recognized to have originated among them It was not meant to be a Christian performance No less than the Bangsamoro government decried the act as “grossly inappropriate and culturally insensitive.” In social science research religiously sensitive individuals are those who can acknowledge religious differences They accept these differences and may even be willing to adapt and integrate the religiously insensitive ones minimize these differences Religious sensitivity (or otherwise) can thus be placed on a spectrum I submit that in many cases religious insensitivity is not intentional.  When Cebu Technological University (CTU) made a public apology over its controversial dance it reiterated that offending the Muslim community was not its intention none of us would admit that we are intentionally insensitive Many Filipinos do not have the ability to see beyond the religious rubrics of the majority much of Filipinoness is associated with many things Catholic — from the Christian names we carry to the town fiestas around the country we assume that others would simply take it for granted too that ours is a thoroughly Catholic society with all the norms and values that come with it This leads some of us to conclude that the minority should know their place Consider opening prayers at public events. I know that ecumenical prayers are increasingly the practice now. And yet many government-sponsored activities still invoke only Catholic prayers if not worship songs played from YouTube.  Every time I catch these moments I look around if there are non-Catholics (or non-Christians for that matter) and wonder how they might feel as Filipino citizens in a supposedly secular event This is but one example of how we end up insensitive to other religious sensibilities in our own communities some of us might consider these examples to be rather shallow to even be taken seriously we’re only beginning to scratch the surface That many of us cannot appreciate realities — or what sociologists call lifeworlds — beyond our narrow religious rubrics is why our society remains unable to accept the valid concerns of the rest of us Consider the place of the LGBTQ+ in our society Consider too the necessity of divorce in violent households The resistance, as I have pointed out in my recent piece on divorce derives largely from a narrow religious worldview It’s always wise to begin within our own spheres of influence Some ideas from Do No Harm (DNH) might be useful. DNH is a conflict sensitivity tool adopted by many development agencies around the world. I, for one, have been working with colleagues from World Vision Philippines and religious leaders in Mindanao one of our tasks is to identify activities and behaviors that aggravate conflict and build on those that enhance relationships It will help you assess the potential impact of what you’re doing in your own spheres of influence.  (A simple DNH conversation among its stakeholders would have avoided that insensitive Sinulog act.) is an ongoing effort that involves a variety of actions including humanitarian work Those of us in schools, churches, and other faith-based communities have a big role to play in this regard. If we do peace-building right, we can help fellow Filipinos to recognize religious differences and the worldviews of people who belong to other convictions Most of the time these spaces tend to frown upon dissent or differences The big lesson here is that religious insensitivity is consequential Intentions (or the lack thereof) are not enough Robert Alonto the head of the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage has spoken for many in his community: “Unity and reconciliation cannot be achieved by cultural theft or imposition but by acknowledging cultural diversity through mutual respect and tolerance.” I long to see our society become more appreciative of what truly makes us beautiful: our diversity A bite of chocolate may be your guilty pleasure but have you looked at the ingredients on your chocolate bar Often hidden in the small print is palm oil India is the largest importer of palm oil in the world a new report tracking the supply chain of palm oil in a region of Indonesia reveals that some of this palm oil may have its origins in a protected area that’s home to the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan interviews and transaction records analysed by environmental organisation Rainforest Action Network (RAN) It shows that local brokers in Indonesia are buying palm fruit from oil palms planted illegally inside the nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve in the southeast Asian country’s Aceh province RAN reports that these mills then further supply the processed palm oil to global traders to the who’s who of household consumer brands The investigation also calls out global banks According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List the estimated population of the Sumatran orangutans is 13,846 individuals the vast majority (about 95 percent) is in the Leuser Ecosystem More than 75,000 hectares (185,300 acres) of peat forests remain in the Singkil peatland The size of the protected area has declined from 102,400 hectares to 80,000 hectares (253,000 acres to 197,700 acres) In the past 10 years, more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of critical lowland forest habitat within Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve has been cleared, largely for new oil palm plantations RAN said the Singapore-listed palm oil trader GAR had confirmed that six of its supplying mills were located near Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve and that five had not established traceability to the farm or plantation where the palm fruit they source is grown Indonesian trading company Musim Mas had confirmed that nine of its supplying mills were located near the wildlife reserve and that it had set the end of 2020 as the deadline for tracing the provenance of all its palm oil sourced from the region Many of the consumer brands named in the RAN report told Reuters that they would verify the findings while keeping their commitment to sustainable practices in palm oil production and supply chain management Banner image: A 2009 picture of wild orangutans in the Leuser national park in Sumatra, Indonesia. Photo by Nomo michael hoefner / Wikimedia Commons This article was first published on Mongabay.com If the Green Revolution rode on the strength of chemicals derived mainly from fossil fuels now there is a shift in the thinking on how agriculture is being done in India with a thrust on growing indigenous crop varieties and following natural farming practices MENU Maranao and Christian residents from the 12 barangays of the municipality of Matungao Lanao del Norte compete in a dance competition Monday (16 June 2014) during the first ever Singkil Festival held in the province as Matungao celebrates its 65th founding anniversary from June 16-20 Matungao is one of the oldest towns of the province which already existed even before Lanao was divided into two provinces No.: 082 297 4360 editor [at] mindanews [dot] com This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page