Indonesia has been the world largest palm oil producer in the world. With total 7.3 million ha palm oil plantation around 77% is concentrated in Sumatraisland—absorbing around 2.5 million workforces, Indonesia’s annual output is around 20 million tons. The government is planning to accelerate the growth in this industry by giving licenses to investors to open additionally two million hectares of plantations. The industry so far has absorbed around 4 million workforces.

The following attachment is the report of the workshop organized by AMRC and KPS (group that organize peasants and casual workers) in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia on 28-29 November, 2009. The workshop was to discuss the impacts of plantation industry on the communities. Two major issues discussed in the workshop were land grabbing and casualisation of work inside the plantation. The main objective of the meeting was to build the solidarity between landless peasants and plantation workers in  a form of cross sector alliance.