Palm Oil from Tesso Nilo National Park Allegedly Flows to Global Markets

An investigation by Mongabay Indonesia has uncovered allegations that palm oil, allegedly harvested illegally from around the Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN) in Riau, Indonesia, is flowing to international markets through a major refiner. PT Gemilang Sawit Lestari (GSL) is reported to have accepted palm oil believed to have been harvested from the national park and supplied it to PT Sari Dumai Sejati (SDS), a subsidiary of Apical Group involved in processing and producing palm oil derivatives. In January 2025, Suhardiman Amby, the Regent of Kuantan Singingi, conducted a surprise inspection of the GSL factory and found indications that it was accepting fruit from TNTN. At the time, he stated his intention to pursue legal action and revoke the factory's permit if the allegations were proven. However, in mid-October of the same year, the Regent returned to the GSL factory and sealed it, temporarily halting the processing of fresh fruit bunches (TBS). This closure followed findings by the Integrated Supervision Team for Palm Oil Plantation Business activities that the factory's operations were not in compliance with its permit. The Integrated Team concluded that GSL committed two violations: environmental pollution and exceeding its processing capacity for TBS. Notably, the team's findings did not mention the acceptance of fruit from TNTN, despite the Regent's January discovery and Mongabay's August findings confirming it. Approximately one month after the closure, the GSL factory resumed operations. This sequence of events highlights the complex challenges in conserving national parks and establishing sustainable palm oil industries. Tesso Nilo National Park is a critical habitat for endangered species such as Sumatran elephants and tigers, making its conservation an urgent priority.