Behind the government’s ambition to open up 20 million hectares of forest for food and energy security lies a big question about the future direction of the environment and community welfare. This policy was born without careful consideration of ecological and social carrying capacity, repeating the pattern of past failures such as the PLG in the Soeharto era, MIFEE in the SBY era, and food estates in the Jokowi era.

Rather than addressing the fundamental issues in the unequal food and energy system, this approach ignores the root causes: reliance on land expansion, inadequate fair distribution, and the marginalization of local communities. Yet, despite climate commitments like the FOLU Net Sink 2030 and NDC targets, large-scale land expansion will only exacerbate the climate crisis and deforestation.

Through this MADANI Insight, we invite the public to critically examine the direction of Indonesia’s food and energy policies, revisit lessons from the past, and advocate for alternative approaches that are fair, participatory, and sustainable.