"Report Reveals Coal Mining a Major Obstacle to Indonesian Food Security", 09 May 2017

Indonesian mining advocacy network, JATAM, and international clean water nonprofit, Waterkeeper Alliance...released a...report, “Hungry Coal – Coal Mining and Food Security in Indonesia,” that shows coal mining is the main threat to Indonesian food security and a major land-use policy conflict that demands government intervention.

The report reveals that almost 10 percent of Indonesia’s land is allocated to coal mining, 80 percent of which is under exploration and poses the greatest risk to Indonesia’s food security than any other land use...

The report further reveals that coal companies are avoiding compliance with Indonesia’s land rehabilitation and water protection regulations...  

Key findings

• All but two of the 17 water samples taken from coal mines and surrounding waterways had concentrations of aluminum, iron, manganese and/or pH levels likely to have an impact on crop production and fish farming. Indonesia’s water quality guidelines do not set maximum allowable concentration for these heavy metals in water used for aquaculture or agriculture...
• Coal concessions cover 19 percent of Indonesia’s existing mapped rice land and 23 percent of land identified as capable of growing rice. Much of the land identified a capable of rice cultivation is occupied by forestry and oil palm plantations, yet unlike coal mining, these land uses do not exclude its use for future food production.

For the Bahasa version of the report, click here.