New Report and Video Highlight Need for Further Engagement on “Deforestation Free” in Indonesia

A forested lake in Indonesia
13 July 2015

TFD is pleased to launch the Co-Chairs’ Summary Report from the recent field dialogue on Understanding Deforestation-Free in Indonesia. We also have finalized a short video summarizing the dialogue, which can be viewed below. 

This Co-Chairs’ Summary highlights the key issues that emerged from the field dialogue on Understanding Deforestation-Free (UDF), hosted by TFD and the Indonesian Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD) form 29 April – 2 May 2015 in the Riau Province of Sumatra. The dialogue brought together over 70 experts representing a diversity of sectors including industry, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, and non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations.

Through two days of field visits and two days of facilitated discussion, the dialogue examined the operational challenges associated with deforestation-free commitments in Indonesia and identified key challenges and solutions for policy design and implementation both in Indonesia and on a global scale. A number of agreed lessons and recommendations emerged from the dialogue. Key messages include:

  • Government engagement is necessary for the lasting success of deforestation-free. 
  • A single, high-resolution map for Indonesia is critical for clarifying land-use and enabling deforestation-free efforts. 
  • Recognition and enforcement of customary rights to land are fundamental to achieving deforestation-free objectives. 
  • Deforestation-free implementation will be an ongoing process, and will require greater resources and capacity from companies, governments, and communities. 
  • Piecemeal, company-by-company approaches to ending deforestation are suboptimal. 

To read the full report, please click here