Annual Report Yayasan Setara Jambi

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Yayasan SETARA; Threeyears of reversing thecurrent

Yayasan SETARA is a non-government organisation establishedas a response to concern aboutecological destruction, the exclusion oflocal and indigenous communities aswell as palm farmers from naturalresource management and expansionof large-scale palm plantationsthreatening not only forests but alsothe lives of local communities and

other living creatures. The decline inforest area and cover, deprivation oflocal communities rights byplantation establishment,marginalisastion of small-scale palmfarmers in palm industry chain, bringthe organisation to undertakeadvocacy work against three pillars ofchange: community, state and market.In addition to the external factorsnoted above, SETARAs choice of workis driven by the concerns of SETARAsactivists used to be active in Jambi-

based NGOs with regard to massivecommunity and environmentalproblems versus large-scale palmplantations. The expectation ofpartners such as palm farmers(smallholders and independentfarmers) and of indigenous and localcommunities to have an organisationfocusing on improving these peopleswell-being and fostering changes inplantation policies laid a strong basisfor the creation of what is now

Yayasan SETARA, an organisation

working on both advocacy andempowerment.

Yayasan SETARA was legally foundedin May 2007, and registered under theAct of Notary Novita, SH, No. 1 Year2007. It is now based in Jambi Provinceand has forged a network with manynational organisations such as SawitWatch, Walhi, JKPP, Forest Watch, LEI,

Telapak, Bina Desa, Masyarakat PeduliPangan Nusantara and severalinternational ones including RainforestAction Network, EDF, and DTE.

Its operations are supported by donoragencies such as Hivos, Misereor,Samdhana, Stiching DOEN (for theperiod 2006-2007).

Yayasan SETARA andSustainable Palm Oil Initiative

in Jambi ProvinceSETARAs involvement in pushing andpromoting sustainable palm oil in

Jambi Province started when it wasassisting the smallholders of PT SariAditya Loka/ASTRA in Merangin

Regency. At that time SETARA wasworking on a research on thegovernment-driven partnershipschemes in the palm sector in theprovince. Not only smallholders butalso independent farmers had seriousproblems (read: partnership-related

conflicts with companies), particularlywith regard to low productivity leadingto low income. It was this low incomethat drove the farmers to expand palmplantation without considering theecological consequences.

The initiative to promote sustainableplam oil in the province was also

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driven by the exclusion of independentfarmers in RSPOs certification chainwhile they contributed to theproduction of palm oil. In the province,independent farmers controlled about130,000 hectares out of the total

480,000 hectares of oil palm.

Projects h otspot s and sustainablepalm oil initiativeWith financial support coming fromHivos since 2009, and the cooperationwith the provincial government,SETARA established several siteswhere the initiative was implemented.

This had driven independent farmersto become also the group promotingsustainable palm oil.

Map of Yayasan SETARAs work areas

Yayasan SETARA was aware that therewere weaknesses within independentfarmers, which many thought did notallow them to participate in thepromotion, let alone in SPOcertification chain initiated by RSPO.

The most distinct weakness was thatindependent farmers did not have anygroups incorporating them, absence ofgood agricultural practice, and lack of

knowledge and access.1

These weresome of the serious problems theywere facing when dealing withsustainable palm oil issues andcertification initiative. Such problems,however, did not bring SETARA down.

1 The field assistance revealed that independent

farmers had no access to superior seeds,

fertilisers, pesticide and also capital.

Getting full support from independentfarmers, SETARA embarked onreviving the spirit of RSPO, that is, topromote sustainable palm oil as aprocess that not only prioritizedeconomy but also contributed to social

affairs and respected environmentalbalance; more importantly,independent farmers spirit totransform into the better, even if theywould not become potential groups toacquire RSPOs certificate. At least,the spirit was planted in them.

Expanding the sustainable palm oilspiritIt turns out that promoting sustainablepalm oil spirit cannot be done byencouraging large companies, themarket and farmers only. Thegovernment must be involved as it isthe government that can makefundamental changes through itspolicies. It is not of much use iffarmers and large companies arepushed to use and adopt sustainablemethods in their plantations while thegovernment is allowed to keepadopting its unsustainable practices inits palm-related policies.2In order to have sustainable palm oilspirit incorporated into the (provincial)government policies, rather than beinglimited to certain groups, YayasanSETARA along with the provincialPlantation Agency has attempted tomake the spirit a common ground. Forinstance, on 14 April 2009, the Jambiprovincial Governor called on allplantation actors, i.e. companies andfarmers, to adopt best andsustnainable practice and toimplement RSPOs P&C in theirpractice.

Yayasan SETARA and socialconflicts in Jambi Province

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One of the RSPOs spirits currentlyinitiatited by Yayasan SETARA is tofoster palm-related conflict resolution.Among the conflicts SETARA is tryingto resolve is the one between PTAsiatic Persada3 and the indigenouspeople of Suku Anak Dalam BatinSembilan in Batanghari regency. The

resolution process began in 2009 whenboh parties started to develop acommitment to resolving the conflicthaving started since 2000 throughconsensus and deliberation.

Yayasan SETARA has been appointedby the parties to serve as a mediator.

The conflict has, however, remainedunsettled after two years of theprocess. Things are going fine as theprocess is stick to attempts to reach aconsensus.

Yayasan SETARA and foodinsecurity in Jambi ProvinceNo one denies that palm developmenthas caused social conflicts, anddeclined both forest and croplandquality, threatening food security andeven food sovereignty in JambiProvince. The situation has driven

Yayasan SETARA to have a closer lookto this. There is nothing wrong withpalm, but it is a problem when it isplanted in the unsuitable land. The

situation has occurred in one of theregencies in the province called

Tanjung Jabung Timur. Up to 2009,around 15,000 hectares of paddy fieldhave been converted into palm

3 PT Asiatic Persada is a company previously

controlled by CDC-Pacrim and Cargill. Since

2006 it has been taken over by the Wilmar

Group.

plantation4. The conversion took placeunder a use permit (HGU) granted tocompanies or a partnership scheme5,or even by the local farmers under theindependent farmer scheme. SETARAspresence is in the position to blame

the company or the community but tocriticise the uncler spatial plan, whichdoes not support the allocation ofspace for the local communities. Foodcropland represents the source of theappropriation issue of food land bypalm plantation.

4 Yayasan SETARA Data 20095 Farmers allow the company to plant palm on

their land under a partnership scheme.

Yayasan SETARAJambi

Jln. Imam Bonjol RT X No. E1Kelurahan Telanai PuraKecamatan Telanai Pura

Kota Jambi 36122Telp/Fax : +62741-63068

www.setarajambi.org

For sustainable

culture, livelihood andfuture
http://www.setarajambi.org/http://www.setarajambi.org/

Documents

Annual Report Yayasan Setara Jambi