Regarding Prabowo's Plan To Add Palm Oil, This Is What IPB Professor Says

The Photo Archives - Workers carry palm fruit bunches in the PT Perkebunan Nusantara II area, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra, Tuesday (19/11/2024). (ANTARA PHOTO)

JAKARTA - The expansion of oil palm land is not deforestation if you take advantage of the country's degraded forest land, this is said by the Professor of the Faculty of Forestry at the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Yanto Santoso. "President Prabowo Subianto's plan to add oil palm land is not included in the category of deforestation if it uses degraded state forests or unforested forests," he said, quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, January 11.

However, he revealed the conditions, namely that only 70 percent of the damaged forest is planted with palm oil, 30 percent of other land is filled with local superior plants such as meranti, ulin, black wood and others. He explained, if the oil palm planting system later still pays attention to composition for forest plants, it can be called reforestation. "From not foresting, not growing plants, then converted into palm oil plants. Not pure, yes (70 percent palm oil, 30 percent forest plants). So that's actually reforestation, right? So it's true that the President, there is no deforestation," said Prof. Yanto Santoso.

According to him, a total of 30 percent must be planted with local forest plants so that they are not monoculture that is very vulnerable to the emergence of ecological disturbances. Furthermore, Yanto explained that the purpose of adding oil palm land to ensure the adequacy of food for the nation should not be a fuss, let alone palm oil is a multi-benefit plant. According to him, the number of unforested forests is 31.8 million hectares. So far, damaged forests that are unemployed and not monitored can actually be dangerous because of frequent fires.

"Often there are oil palm plantations that catch fire, it turns out that the source of the fire is from an unmanaged area. Forests that are left abandoned," he added. Yes, then explain the definition of deforestation. Deforestation according to international definition is the change of forested areas into unforested areas, no matter whether forest areas or people's lands.

The forest that has been cut down is called deforestation. Likewise, natural forests. Anyway, it doesn't matter who has turned forests into unforests, it's called deforestation," he explained.

Meanwhile, deforestation based on Indonesia's definition is a change in the country's forest area whose initial purpose for forestry has turned into a designation not for forestry. Examples for industrial, transmigration, gardens, rice fields and others. That's called deforestation. In simple language, the name of the conversion of area functions or changes in area designation," said Yanto. Referring to the above definition, he explained, President Prabowo's ideas are not necessarily included in the deforestation category. Moreover, if later the addition of oil palm land utilizes these degraded forests. To stop various oblique accusations related to the plan to add oil palm land, he hopes that the government will immediately provide a transparent and detailed explanation.