In 1998, the people of Saussi in Papua New Guinea heard that a sugar & oil palm company, Ramu Agri-Industries, was seeking to expand its oil palm plantations into customary land owned by the Saussi.
The Saussi organized several neighboring communities and formed the Ramu Valley Landowners Association (RVLOA). They began a five year battle against Ramu Agri Industries.
Now they successfully retain control over their customary land and farm a variety of food products and sustainably managed timber for furniture production and so on.
What a great positive story from PNG, where I lived from 1983 to 1990. During that time there was logging and gold and copper mining going on in various parts of the country. Just before we left oil was discovered in the Highlands. Now I learn of the pressure people are under to accept oil palm plantations. Very good to hear what this community in Madang has achieved, especially setting up their own sawmills and processing their own cocoa beans. I loved the comment about circulating the money they make within the community, which is the trditional PNG attitude to wealth. I hope their success is duplicated in other parts of the country so people have more strength to resist the corporations which just want to mine the country of its resources.