# How indigenous prosperity can save the planet | Bustar Maitar | TEDxAmazônia

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2SOTGzL3xU
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/u2SOTGzL3xU
Generated: 2026-01-31T01:32:41.693+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Bustar Maitar advocates for defending paradise by empowering indigenous communities in Indonesia's Papua and Maluku regions to sustainably manage their forests, proving that their prosperity and traditional ways of life are essential for global climate stability and biodiversity protection, exemplified by the KoBumi cooperative's successful market access and land protection efforts.

**Key Points:**
- The Indonesian government agreed to a moratorium on deforestation for palm oil and paper production between 2009 and 2013, which was later revoked, showing ongoing challenges.
- Indonesia's rainforests, particularly in Papua and Maluku (home to 15 million indigenous people), store massive amounts of carbon vital for global climate stability.
- The KoBumi cooperative, an indigenous-led trading company, connects indigenous communities to national and international markets for non-timber forest products.
- Key achievements by 2022 included revoking 17 palm oil concession permits, preventing deforestation equivalent to 2.5 times the size of Los Angeles, and avoiding 160,000 one-way jumbo jet flight emissions.
- The cooperative model focuses on 'The Right Support,' including financing small infrastructure, paying transparent prices, and offering on-site product pickup.
- The goal for 'Next Year' (from the time of presentation) was expanding to 15 cooperatives across 10 provinces, increasing international market presence to 25% across 6 countries, and protecting an additional 100,000 hectares of indigenous land.

![Screenshot at 07:01: The slide highlights a significant win from 2022: revoking 17 palm oil concession permits, which prevented deforestation across an area 2.5 times the size of Los Angeles, emphasizing the tangible impact of indigenous-led conservation efforts.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/u2SOTGzL3xU/00-07-01.jpg)

**Context:** Bustar Maitar presents at TEDxAmazônia about the critical role of indigenous communities, specifically in Indonesia's Papua and Maluku islands, in protecting the world's remaining tropical forests, which are crucial carbon sinks. He introduces KoBumi, an indigenous-led trading cooperative established in 2016, designed to create economic prosperity for these communities through sustainable trade of non-timber forest products, thereby providing an economic incentive for forest preservation against threats like mining, logging, and palm oil expansion.

## Detailed Analysis

Bustar Maitar discusses the urgent need to defend tropical paradises, focusing on the forests in Indonesia's Papua and Maluku islands, which harbor immense biodiversity and store huge amounts of carbon, critical for global climate stability. He notes the history of deforestation drivers like mining, logging, and palm oil, specifically mentioning that 80% of Indonesian palm oil production is associated with deforestation. Maitar highlights the efforts of the indigenous community in fighting deforestation, citing a past moratorium (2009-2013) that was eventually revoked. To counter this, he founded KoBumi, an Indigenous-Led Trading Company, which began in 2016. KoBumi connects indigenous communities to national and international markets, enabling them to earn a living (around $2M in product trading currently) while protecting their forest rights and land. A major success cited for 2022 was revoking 17 palm oil concession permits, preventing deforestation equivalent to 2.5 times the size of Los Angeles, which translates to preventing 160,000 jumbo jet flight CO2 emissions. The model relies on 'The Right Support'—financing infrastructure, ensuring transparent pricing, and managing logistics. The future goal is ambitious: expanding to 15 cooperatives across 10 provinces, increasing international market reach to 6 countries, and protecting an additional 100,000 hectares of community land, aiming for $4M in trading revenue.

### The Problem

- Deforestation Drivers: Mining
- Logging
- Palm Oil
- Palm oil production is responsible for 80% of Indonesian deforestation, threatening carbon storage and biodiversity.

### The Solution

- KoBumi Cooperative: Indigenous-Led Trading Company
- Connects indigenous communities to markets
- Ensures economic prosperity through sustainable product trade (e.g., spices, coffee, rattan).

### Key Wins (2022)

- Revoked 17 palm oil concession permits
- Prevented deforestation of an area 2.5x the size of Los Angeles
- Equivalent to preventing 160,000 Rio-London jet flights' CO2 emissions.

### The Right Support Model

- Finance small infrastructure
- Pay transparent prices on pickup
- Handle market access and consistent supply chain logistics.

### Future Goals (Next Year)

- Expand to 15 Cooperatives (from 10) in 10 Provinces
- Increase international market presence to 6 countries (including Turkey, UK, Middle East)
- Protect an additional 100,000 hectares of indigenous land, reaching $4M in trading revenue.

![Screenshot at 00:02: Stylized animation showing an indigenous figure climbing a pole, representing the struggle for land rights.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/u2SOTGzL3xU/00-00-02.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:08: Illustration of an Arowana fish, symbolizing the biodiversity of the Indonesian paradise being defended.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/u2SOTGzL3xU/00-00-08.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:20: Bustar Maitar on stage, with a slide showing him and a colleague dressed in tiger-print gear on a dirt bike in a deforested area.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/u2SOTGzL3xU/00-00-20.jpg)
![Screenshot at 01:33: World map displaying forest cover by biome type \(Boreal, Temperate, Subtropical, Tropical\), highlighting the location of Indonesia's tropical forests.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/u2SOTGzL3xU/00-01-33.jpg)
![Screenshot at 05:12: Three aerial images illustrating the drivers of deforestation: Mining, Logging, and Palm Oil plantations.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/u2SOTGzL3xU/00-05-12.jpg)