2017/11/28 by Eusebius Pantja Pramudya, Otto Hospes, C. J. A. M. Termeer +1
Environmental Science · #Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management #Energy and Environment Impacts #Oil Palm Production and Sustainability
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/01436597.2017.1401462
openalex publication_date 2017/11/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
The Indonesian state has issued many regulations to control palm oil expansion, but they have been weakly enforced, resulting in widespread illegal plantations. During the last decade, Indonesian authorities have used force to reduce illegal plantations. This article analyses the drivers behind these actions and questions to what extent they reflect the rise of eco-authoritarianism. By investigating six cases of disciplinary action in Sumatra, we conclude that the Indonesian state is neither practising eco-authoritarianism nor constituting a green state. The disciplinary action, however, has had limited success in environmental terms due to policy incoherence, violent contestation and the sector’s historical context.