Indonesia’s Palm Oil Export Ban Leads to Farmer Protests Amid Surging Prices

Workers load palm oil seeds into the back of a truck at a plantation area in Pelalawan, Riau province in Indonesia's Sumatra island on Sept. 16, 2015. Adek Berry /AFP/ file/Getty Images

The Indonesian government’s efforts to address domestic cooking oil shortages by banning palm oil exports has begun to backfire, with local farmers protesting the policy.

Hundreds of farmers protested in the capital city of Jakarta on May 17, demanding that the government revoke the palm oil exports ban, which has led the price of palm fruits to tumble.