Money to Burn?

THE IDEA to create an enormous source of funds—later to be called reforestation funds—to cover the costs of forest conservation in Indonesia originated at the World Forestry Conference in Jakarta in 1978. But this well intentioned move also set in motion the amazing rise of Indonesia’s timber business. Within two years, in 1980 to be precise, the reforestation guarantee fund had been set up. Nine years later, it was renamed the ...