​Overview

​Over 3 million hectares of land are at risk of being cleared in Merauke, Papua for Indonesia’s Food & Energy Estate Projects. Local and international groups are campaigning to protect forests, by pushing for the projects to be redirected onto degraded land using social forestry, and protect people, by upholding the rights of Indigenous people in Merauke whose livelihoods and safety are at risk due to military intimidation and land grabbing surrounding these projects.

​This session will provide background information on past failures of state-backed food estate projects, the current state of deforestation and community rights issues in Merauke, and potential solutions for Indonesia’s journey to food security and land restoration. Panelists will discuss policy and financial interventions, in addition to ongoing campaigns and research, all of which are working to put a halt to the biggest potential deforestation project in the world.

​Hosts

• ​Mighty Earth

• ​Pusaka

• ​Satya Bumi

​Speakers

• ​Glenn Hurowitz, CEO, Mighty Earth

• ​Dorthea (Defe) Wabiser, Pusaka

• ​Andi Muttaqien, Executive Director, Satya Bumi