Conservationist Petrus Gunarso, Author of 'Palm Oil,' Unveils Two New Books at Launch Attended by Deputy Minister

Gunarso, who began his career as a forester, voiced concern over what he sees as a systemic neglect of Indonesia’s forest biodiversity. Doc. Rmsp.

Jakarta | May 22, 2025 —  Sawit Asia: At a restaurant specializing in sago-based dishes, nestled amid the hustle and bustle of Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, forestry expert and environmental advocate Petrus Gunarso launched his latest book, Konservasi Alam di Indonesia – Nature Conservation in Indonesia, on Thursday. But this was no ordinary book launch. In addition to the conservation book, Gunarso also introduced the first volume of his new series Pancapalma, titled Sawit untuk Dunia dan Lingkungan - Palm Oil for the World and the Environment.

 

Alongside it, Gunarso introduced Panca Palma, an ambitious five-volume series that seeks to reframe the national narrative around some of Indonesia’s most overlooked tropical plant species: its native palms.

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The event, attended by government officials, academics, development planners, and longtime colleagues, served as both a scholarly presentation and a quiet call to action. It was a plea to recognize the botanical wealth growing, quite literally, in the country’s own backyard.

“The idea started from my doctoral dissertation in Queensland,” Gunarso said, referencing his research at the University of Queensland, Australia. “I realized how little attention we’ve given to the biodiversity that defines our ecosystems and supports our rural communities—especially our palms.”

The Panca Palma series—which translates loosely to “The Five Palms”— features five distinct books, each devoted to a native palm species with deep ecological and cultural roots: Palm Oil for the World and the Environment, Sago of Indonesia, The Coconut of Indonesia, Betel Nut for the Future, and Sugar Palm and Its Expansion Potential.

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Each book combines science, cultural history, and policy analysis, emphasizing not only the ecological function of each species but also its role in shaping livelihoods across the archipelago. 

Gunarso hopes to correct a long-standing imbalance in public awareness, where native species often fall into obscurity while introduced cash crops dominate policy and markets.

A Silent Crisis in the Forest

In his speech, Gunarso, who began his career as a forester, voiced concern over what he sees as a systemic neglect of Indonesia’s forest biodiversity. He cited the case of dipterocarps, a family of towering hardwood trees central to Southeast Asian forests.

“We have hundreds of dipterocarp species, many of them unique to Indonesia,” he said. “Yet not a single one has been developed into an industrial plantation forest. Not one. That should disturb all of us.”

His concern is not only ecological but also economic. Industrial forestry in Indonesia has focused on fast-growing, non-native species such as acacia and eucalyptus, while native trees with long-term value have been left in the margins. The same pattern, Gunarso warns, is being repeated with palms.

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Ironically, the oil palm—one of Indonesia’s most valuable export crops—is not native to the country at all. “It came from two seeds brought here by the Dutch,” Gunarso noted. “They planted them in Bogor. Today, that plant dominates millions of hectares of Indonesian land.”

Beyond Oil Palm: Reclaiming Indigenous Species

The Panca Palma series attempts to broaden the national understanding of what palm-based development can look like. Gunarso points to the sago palm as an example—a drought-resistant species native to eastern Indonesia that produces a starch used in traditional foods and with potential as a gluten-free alternative in global markets.

“In places like Papua and Maluku, people have relied on sago for centuries. It’s part of their food security. But it’s still largely absent from our national agricultural strategy,” he said.

The same goes for coconut, betel nut, and sugar palm—species that provide everything from building materials to medicine to bioenergy, and yet receive scant research and policy attention.

“These aren’t just plants. They are part of our culture, our heritage, our resilience,” Gunarso said.

From Forestry to Energy and Back to the Forest

Despite his deep forestry background, Gunarso now serves in a senior role at Pertamina Gas, a state-owned energy company. His career shift may seem surprising, but it has only reinforced his belief in the value of local biodiversity—particularly in the renewable energy sector.

In a presentation following his speech, Gunarso described how palm oil mill effluent (POME)—a once-discarded liquid waste from palm oil processing—can be converted into biomethane, a clean-burning renewable gas now being exported to Singapore.

“This is part of a broader green energy transition. We’re turning waste into fuel, pollution into profit,” he said. “But it all comes back to how we treat our land, how we manage our resources.”

He admitted, with a wry smile, that he doesn’t own a single palm oil or sago plantation himself. “But I do care about what kind of country my grandchildren will inherit. I want them to know that these plants, these forests, are part of who we are as a people.”

A National Identity Rooted in the Land

Gunarso’s remarks come at a time of rising tension in Indonesia’s development policies, where economic growth is often pitted against environmental protection. 

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The government has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, yet deforestation and biodiversity loss remain persistent challenges, particularly in frontier provinces such as Papua and Kalimantan.

At the heart of the issue is a question of identity. For Gunarso, the future of Indonesia is inseparable from its native species—palms included.

“If we lose our local plants, our forests, we lose part of our soul,” he said.

His books, he hopes, will inspire not only policymakers and academics but also farmers, students, and everyday citizens to rethink the value of their natural heritage.

“People often say Indonesia is rich. But we need to ask: Rich in what? Rich for whom? If we don't recognize and invest in the plants that have sustained us for generations, what kind of richness are we really talking about?”

The book launch event was attended by Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard, Deputy Minister at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), who took the podium to express his support.

 "This book also represents our contribution as the national planning body," he said. "We had previously discussed it in depth with the Head of Bappenas."

-- Masri Sareb Putra