Indonesia recruits farmers, teachers to battle anti-palm oil sentiment

FILE PHOTO: A palm oil plantation is pictured next to a burnt forest near Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan province, Indonesia, September 29, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Indonesia's giant palm oil industry, long a target of global green groups, is shoring up its defences closer to home as it tries to counter growing anti-palm oil sentiment among a more environmentally conscious generation of young Indonesians.

Indonesia, the world's top palm oil producer, is training farmers and teachers and running social media campaigns to highlight the "positive aspects" of the $50 billion industry.