Bustar Maitar

Background

About Bustar Maitar

For over 20 years, Bustar Maitar has been campaigning for social justice and environmental protection in Indonesia. He has worked closely with communities on natural resources management, from the grassroots level to the global movement. He founded the Papua-based NGO, PERDU, in 1998, and was subsequently recruited as the first staff member of Greenpeace Indonesia office in 2005. Bustar dedicated more than 11 years to campaigning for global zero deforestation, which successfully led the organization's efforts to collaborate with the Indonesian government and industries in implementing the May 2011 moratorium on the conversion of natural forests. He led the Greenpeace International team in transforming top multinational customer companies and major producer companies to align with global zero deforestation efforts in their supply chain, resulting in approximately 75% of globally traded palm oil and 80% of Indonesia's pulp and paper production becoming deforestation-free products. In 2017, Bustar founded EcoNusa Foundation with the aim of preserving the last remaining intact forests in Eastern Indonesia through forests, oceans, renewable energy, youth movements, sustainable local economies, health, and education inisiatives. From 2017 to 2022, EcoNusa supported local governments in Papua by reviewing and revoking palm oil concession areas, equivalent to 2.5 times the size of Los Angeles, containing approximately 70 million tons of carbon. EcoNusa also facilitated customary land mapping for nearly half a million hectares of forests. Through its socio-economic enterprise, Kobumi Enterprise, EcoNusa Foundation promotes models of sustainable local economic development based on environmental stewardship and the values of indigenous peoples. These models include local commodity trading, eco-tourism businesses owned by indigenous youth, and revolving fund programs for nature-based Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Papua and Maluku regions.