[Baku, Azerbaijan, 13 November 2024] The Food Estate, or national food barn program, is not the answer to Indonesia’s food challenges. The program poses a serious risk to natural forest ecosystems that should instead be protected.

This statement responds to remarks made by the Special Envoy of the Republic of Indonesia’s Delegation, Hashim Sujono Djojohadikusumo, during the COP29 plenary session on 12 November 2024, in which he stated that the Food Estate program would continue. Previously, President Prabowo Subianto had visited the Food Estate site in Merauke Regency, South Papua, which has been designated as a focus area of more than 2 million hectares for his administration’s Food Estate program.

According to Nadia Hadad, Executive Director of Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan, who was also present at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Food Estate—classified as a National Strategic Project—has the potential to become a red carpet for the exploitation of natural resources and forests. This is particularly concerning given Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 commitment, which targets a reduction in deforestation of 4.22 million hectares by 2030.

Based on the Operational Plan of Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030, Indonesia’s deforestation up to 2019 had already reached 4.8 million hectares. This means that Indonesia’s deforestation quota has already been exceeded, resulting in a deficit of 577 thousand hectares. Opening Food Estate areas would further threaten Indonesia’s ability to meet its climate commitments to the world.

“The process of ecosystem recovery through restoration and land rehabilitation takes a very long time and often fails to return ecosystems to their original condition, such as peatland and mangrove ecosystems,” Nadia said in her press statement on 13 November 2024.

Nadia explained that in order to achieve Indonesia’s NDC targets, deforestation prevention must be prioritized through the implementation of appropriate policies. “Relying solely on restoration and rehabilitation will make it more difficult to meet Indonesia’s climate commitments. Prevent first, then restore,” she said.

In his speech, Hashim argued that food security programs are essential to safeguard Indonesia’s independence from external shocks that the country has experienced in recent years. The younger brother of President Prabowo cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war as factors that previously caused sharp increases in food and fertilizer prices.

Hashim stated that the international community misunderstands the food estate program, which has been described as destroying forests. “Indonesia will recreate, revitalize, and rejuvenate degraded forests (as a result of the Food Estate program). This is already a program that will reduce any problems that may arise,” he said.

Cindy Julianty from the Working Group ICCAs Indonesia (WGII) considers the Food Estate program to have failed in addressing food security issues and to have generated numerous conflicts, particularly with Indigenous Peoples. “Empirical facts on the ground in Merauke show that more than two million hectares of forest—part of the customary territories of the Malid, Maklew, Khimaima, and Yei Indigenous Peoples—have been completely cleared for food estate purposes,” she said.

Forests are a natural source of food for Indigenous Peoples and are also integral to biodiversity conservation. Cindy also highlighted the need for public scrutiny of the 12.7 million hectare forest restoration target under the Prabowo Subianto administration.

“Does this figure overlap with Indigenous territories and community-managed areas? Will it be carried out through consultation and FPIC processes, and will Indigenous Peoples or local communities be the beneficiaries of this restoration agenda?” she asked.

The Importance of Joining the FCLP Partnership and Accessing Climate Finance

Nadia questioned why Indonesia has not yet joined the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP). The FCLP is an initiative aimed at halting and reversing forest loss by 2030. “Yet in the statements delivered by heads of state and officials on the panel, Indonesia was repeatedly mentioned as a champion of the FOLU Net Sink 2030 initiative,” Nadia said.

Joining the partnership, she added, would help ensure the mobilization of climate finance from developed countries to developing countries and tropical forest nations, enabling the protection of tropical forests and the achievement of global climate targets under the Paris Agreement.

According to Eka Melisa from Kemitraan, it is deeply regrettable that Hashim’s special message during the COP29 plenary on 12 November 2024 did not emphasize Indonesia’s position as a country highly vulnerable to climate change—where strengthening adaptive capacity and resilience is critically important.

Moreover, given that COP29 is a Finance COP, Indonesia should have prioritized discussions on how to access and channel climate finance effectively, including focusing on strengthening the capacity of communities and national and local governments to address three key climate resilience issues.

“This should be a single integrated package, as we have also outlined in the Enhanced NDC: ecosystem and landscape resilience, social and community resilience, and economic resilience,” Eka said.

Iqbal Damanik from Greenpeace observed that Indonesia has not demonstrated leadership and lacks clear and strong targets and messaging related to climate finance at COP29 in Baku. “It is deeply regrettable that at COP29 Baku—widely promoted as a COP focused on finance—Indonesia has not recognized the importance of playing a significant role in directing climate finance to where it is most needed,” he said.

Indonesia, he added, should be able to act as a strong voice for countries that are highly vulnerable to the climate crisis. “Indonesia must take on a global role in order to increase its chances of accessing greater climate finance, including funding for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage,” Iqbal concluded.*****

Contacts:

Nadia Hadad – MADANI Berkelanjutan | +62 811-132-081
Cindy Julianty – WGII (Working Group on Indigenous and Local Communities Conserved Areas and Territories Indonesia) | cindy.julianty@gmail.com | +62 851-2110-7321
Iqbal Damanik – Greenpeace Indonesia | +62 811-4445-026
Eka Melisa – Kemitraan Partnership for Governance Reform | +62 818-764-746