Companies Suspend Jhonlin Group for Deforestation & Connection to Food Estate
Thousands of bulldozers are being shipped to the island of Papua in Indonesia, snaking their way through Indigenous lands to tear down trees, in what’s been called the world’s biggest deforestation project. Why? To clear land for a mega food estate. We’re taking a closer look at the company which holds the contract for this mega deforestation.
The Jhonlin Group is owned by one of the wealthiest businessmen in Indonesia, the controversial coal and palm oil magnate Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad (aka ‘Haji Isam’). Haji Isam is from South Kalimantan with extended family ties to high levels of the Indonesian government and strong links to the Prabowo administration.
The Jhonlin group has been listed as one of the top deforesters of palm oil in Southeast Asia since 2018 and has a track record of violating NDPE commitments and is not an RSPO member. A 2021 Kompas article notes: ‘recently, Haji Isam’s name has attracted attention because there are allegations that a Haji Isam company bribed tax officials in relation to his company’s tax value.’
Jhonlin has begun to convert 1-million-hectare of land for rice production, which is part of the so-called ‘Merauke Food and Energy Estate’ project. Jhonlin has ordered 2,000 excavators to clear the land.
Mighty Earth estimates that, since July 2024, Jhonlin has cleared 4,200 hectares of forest and savanna, including Indigenous community land. Please see Planet time-series imagery of the land clearing.
The project has been called the ‘world’s largest deforestation project’, as it threatens approximately 3 million hectares of forest and peatland conservation landscapes, much of it the habitat of endangered tree kangaroo and birds of paradise. Mapping analysis conducted by Mighty Earth shows that the Food and Energy Project area considerably overlaps with the customary land of indigenous people.
Jhonlin Group has ordered a staggering 2,000 land excavators from the SANY Group (China) at the cost of $250 million to establish the 1 million hectare rice project. They have already built approximately 25km of road, with nearly 150 km planned.
In reference to Haji Isam’s Jhonlin group, the military Major General overseeing the project said “Why was Pak Haji Isam chosen by Pak Prabowo? Because his company is big. The one that has the experience and the one that possesses the equipment needed to resolve the problem is Pak Haji Isam. He received instructions directly from Pak Prabowo.” The Major General added, “Pak Haji often clears land in Kalimantan, he clears land in Sulawesi, and elsewhere.”
Haji Isam himself is reported to have said, “This is a state duty that has been entrusted to me. Based on a concept provided by Prabowo, I have plans for clearing one million hectares within three years – without considering the costs and benefits.”
The Jhonlin group has converted over 20,000 hectares of forest to oil palm between 2016 and 2021, according to the NGO Earthqualiser which works with many palm oil companies.
According to Indonesia Today, “Haji Isam is very focused on this project. Just look for yourself; he personally monitors all the unloading of equipment. He oversees the unloading of materials for road construction as well. The point is, the boss doesn’t want to miss any part of this project. Every process will be observed and witnessed directly—that’s the boss. He won’t rest until it’s finished,” said Denny Ramdhani, Operations Assistant for the 1 million hectare rice field project in South Papua, in a written statement received on Wednesday.”
Through our Rapid Response program, Mighty Earth has connected Jhonlin to an ongoing case of deforestation for palm oil and requested that companies place Jhonlin group on a no-buy list. Company action taken thus far is listed below.
Full Suspension
Company has communicated a “no-buy” requirement to their palm oil suppliers to ensure Jhonlin group is excluded from their supply chains: AAK, Barry Callebaut, Bunge, Cargill, Colgate, Fuji Oil, GAR, Hershey, OFI, Pepsi Co, Unilever
Partial Suspension/Does Not Source
Company has not issued a formal “no-buy” requirement; however, the company does not currently source from Jhonlin, and in a number of cases expressed that they have no intention to buy in the future: Astra Agro Lestari, Apical, Biesterfeld, BLD Plantation, COFCO International, First Resources, Group Bimbo, ISF, Itochu, KPN Corp, Louis Dreyfus Company, Mewah, Music Mas, Neste, Nisshin Oillio, Oleon, Permata, Pacific Inter-Link, PZ Cussons, Sime Darby, Sarawak Oil Palms, Vance Bioenergy
Monitoring
Company is monitoring the Jhonlin case: ADM, Mondalez International
No response
Company has not responded to Mighty Earth’s emails: Exxon, IFFCO, IOI Group, KLK, Lipsa, Symrise, Zschimmer & Schwarz
