Cargill waits for RSPO while Sinar Mas destroys forests

Last week Nestle joined the ranks of other major food conglomerates to cancel their palm oil contracts from Sinar Mas, Indonesia’s largest palm oil and wood pulp producer and notorious rainforest destroyer. Responding to the movements against Sinar Mas, Cargill also made an announcement on Sinar Mas last week; unfortunately Cargill chose to delay action [...]

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Sumatra hunger strike: the last recourse for a forest community

Here in Riau, Indonesia, signs of the struggle to save the last of Sumatra’s forest is everywhere. Daily, the papers cover stories of timber and oil palm companies destroying forests, engaging in corruption, driving land conflicts, sponsoring violence, and marginalizing indigenous peoples. Today, on the way to a meeting with the local NGO Elang, I [...]

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Letter from Indonesian community threatened by pulp-and-paper

TELUK MERANTI COMMUNITY LETTER OF REJECTION TOWARDS RAPP COMPANY (APRIL) Regarding: UPHOLDING TELUK MERANTI COMMUNITY RIGHTS To the Honourable, President Director of RAPP company (April) With this, the community of Teluk Meranti subdistrict, based on our needs to the land located across the river or land intended to become a part of your company’s operational [...]

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FSC ED Steps Down. Why?

According to this announcement, Heiko Liedeker is stepping down as Executive Director of the FSC after six years at the helm. My read of the announcement raises the question of whether his decision was made voluntarily or under pressure stemming from recent controversies? Those more plugged in to the internal dynamics of the international office [...]

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Forest Stewardship Council Credibility on Thin Ice

Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal included coverage of “growing pains” at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Jim Carleton quotes me saying “It’s a question of how do we improve the system, not whether we can keep the system… Because if you look at the alternative systems run by industry, those are even weaker.” The quote’s accurate, [...]

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