Dedi Mulyadi’s decision to ban new palm oil planting across West Java has been celebrated as an environmental breakthrough. It is bold, politically risky, and symbolically powerful: a governor choosing ecological survival over the seductive promise of quick plantation revenue. Yet beneath the applause lies a more uncomfortable truth — West Java is not starting from zero. There are already palm oil estates, contractual relationships, and business ecosystems that predate this ban. And that means the policy is not just about “saving the environment,” but also about navigating legal, economic, and social consequences. To subscribe please click here
