Can Siberut Be Saved?
The indigenous people of Siberut, part of the Mentawai Islands off Sumatra in Indonesia, are threatened by development. A Jakarta-based company, P.T. Sawit Asahan Indah, plans to convert Siber
Can Siberut Be Saved?
The indigenous people of Siberut, part of the Mentawai Islands off Sumatra in Indonesia, are threatened by development. A Jakarta-based company, P.T. Sawit Asahan Indah, plans to convert Siberut's rain forests into oil palm plantation. In January 1990 company teams were surveying Siberut to map planting sites. One credible informant saw a planing map showing all of Siberut, except for a swath 12 km wide around the island's perimeter, designated for oil palm. A company representative supervising the survey teams said the extent of planting would depend on results of the surveys. The company has constructed two telecommunications towers in Siberut, one in the south at Muara Siberut, the other in the north at Sikabaluan.
Due to increased production and decreased international demand, the price of palm oil has plummeted in recent years. A major factor reducing the demand for palm oil in the US food industry has been publicity about this oil's high cholesterol content. The Siberut oil palm company still might run at a profit, however, by using free land and indentured smallholders imported from Java to grow the plantations. Also, the government is striving for increased consumption of palm oil within Indonesia, and decre