Palm oil without exploitation in Indonesia
October 26 2023
2 minutes
Palm oil. It is in all kinds of products that we use daily: food, soap, cosmetics. Yes, even in our jar of chocolate, which is extra creamy thanks to palm oil. Yummy!
Local population takes blows from palm oil production
But the production of palm oil, who also has a dark side. Because palm oil production has been ramped up to meet massive global demand, it is the biggest cause of deforestation in the past 20 years. The environment and climate are the biggest victims.
Certainly in Indonesia. Because about half of the global production of all palm oil is produced there. The local population are bearing the brunt of the blows. They are losing their land to the plantations. And the 4.4 million people employed there, working in very bad conditions.
Due to the large amount of palm oil that has to be harvested every day, many workers are forced to have their children help with the work. Women have it extra hard. They are given the lowest paid and least protected jobs, such as working with pesticides and fertilizers that deplete the soil and seriously damage their health.
Most of the planet's boundaries have already been crossed today. Action is urgently needed! But palm oil production also faces major challenges. How can we achieve the transition to a climate-neutral economy without jeopardizing the income and well-being of workers and their families?
The voices of workers in the palm oil sector must be heard in the climate debate. They must be invited to the negotiating table. Because that too is climate justice: ensuring that the transition to a low-carbon economy is fair.
The government is part of the solution
WSM, a member organization of 11.11.11, works in Indonesia together with K-SBSI, the association of trade unions in Indonesia. Together with other environmental organizations they fight for government interventions in the sector to to achieve sustainable, green economic development.
They advocate a better distribution of land among small farmers, so that different crops can be grown. And the income from palm oil must also be distributed more fairly. Where plantations are stopped, jobs can also be created in nature conservation and nature restoration. This requires more and better education and retraining for workers, so that they can move to another sector.
Our work is dangerous and our rights are often not respected. We ourselves feel the climate change every day. But we need our jobs. Fortunately, K-SBSI works on solutions through social dialogue.
Support more Indonesian workers with a donation
Together we ensure social and climate-just solutions to this injustice.
How? Join the fight with a donation and support the work of our partners and activists in Indonesia.
WSM is a member organization of 11.11.11. By 11.11.11 By supporting, you also support WSM and the fight against climate injustice.
