Press release - February 18, 2016
Jakarta, 18 February 2016 -- Indonesia’s second-largest palm oil grower PT Astra Agro Lestari this week added its signature to the Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge, showing that industry commitment to No Deforestation continues to grow. [1]
Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Annisa Rahmawati said:
“Greenpeace is pleased to see Astra Agro join the Indonesia Palm Oil Pledge. We hope its director will use his chairmanship of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) to set a constructive 2016 agenda for the whole industry to work to protect forests and peatlands to prevent a repeat of last year’s fires crisis.”
“This goal is entirely achievable, and in keeping with President Joko Widodo’s commitments on forest and peat protection and fire prevention. The President’s vision emphasises the importance of transparency, through the One Map initiative. Greenpeace therefore urges all companies to support transparency by publishing map data for their own concessions and their third party suppliers, to enable monitoring and protection of forests and peatlands. We note the RSPO is already moving in this direction, with member concession maps due for release in the next quarter.”
During the space of just a few months in late 2015, fires raged across Indonesian forests, peatlands and plantations, a crisis which the World Bank estimates cost the country’s economy $16 billion, or almost 2% of GDP. [2] The human cost of the crisis was even greater, with countless people across the region suffering from both acute and chronic impacts of breathing a toxic haze of smoke particles and gases. In Indonesia alone, Ministry of Health data showed at least 120,000 people sought medical help because of the fires. [3]
“Some large players in Indonesia are hiding behind concern for smallholders and economic figures as an excuse to avoid ending the large scale deforestation and peat drainage which led to last year’s fire crisis. In fact, The companies in IPOP that have made the No Deforestation pledge have also committed to work with smallholders to enhance their productivity. If these pledges are implemented, it will enable smallholders to profit from the global market demand for responsible palm oil, and strengthen the competitiveness of Indonesian palm oil in the global market,” Annisa said.
Notes for editors
[1] http://www.palmoilpledge.id/en/2016/02/astra-argo-lestari-aal-is-officially-joining-ipop-to-participate-in-indonesia-sustainable-palm-oil-commitment
[2] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-20/haze-crisis-cost-indonesia-almost-2-of-gdp-world-bank-says
[3] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hellish-fires-in-indonesia-spread-health-climate-problems
Media contacts
Annisa Rahmawati, Forest Campaigner Greenpeace Indonesia, mobile: +62 8111097527
Igor O’Neill, International Media for Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Campaign, 
, mobile +62 811 1923 721