Environmentalists fear Indonesia's food estate programme may destroy forests

President Joko Widodo (centre), sugar factory PT Prima Alam Gemilang owner Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad (left) and former agriculture minister Amran Sulaiman (right) visit a sugar cane plantation in Bombana regency, Southeast Sulawesi on Oct. 22, 2020. (Presidential Press Bureau/File)

JAKARTA (the Jakarta Post/ANN): The latest regulation issued by the Environment and Forestry Ministry that allows forests to be converted into farmland to support the government’s food estate programme has sparked concerns of potential massive deforestation, according to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).

The ministerial regulation on forest re-designation for food estate development, signed by Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar on Oct 26, allows forests to be converted into farmland in both protected and production areas.