Indonesia’s Papua food estate advances amid legal and environmental — SkimNews
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- Indonesia halted rice imports in 2025 and plans to remain import-free in 2026, aiming for self-sufficiency amid global supply concerns, with President Prabowo citing foreign wars as justification.
- Merauke food estate in South Papua, covering up to 2.29 million hectares, is central to the plan, targeting rice and sugarcane production for food and bioethanol fuel, with output expected by 2027.
- Greenpeace Indonesia reported that about 7,600 hectares of forest were cleared by February 2026, a year before the environmental permit was issued, and satellite images showed a 135-kilometer road completed despite a court-ordered halt.
- Five Marind villagers filed a lawsuit against the environmental permit in March 2026, winning a temporary construction halt on June 9, but the case was dismissed on September 18 despite ongoing development.
- CELIOS estimates clearing 2 million hectares will cost nearly $8 billion and notes the project advanced without public tenders or parliamentary budgeting, raising transparency concerns.
- Indonesia’s energy minister says the country will import U.S. bioethanol only if local production falls short, citing the U.S. trade agreement that bars restrictions on American ethanol imports.
Why it matters: Indonesia’s push for self-reliance risks undermining its climate commitments and export credibility, as $8 billion in forest-clearing development proceeds without permits or oversight, potentially triggering EU trade barriers and investor hesitation despite strategic aims.
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