akar.earthFPIC: Definition
What is FPIC (free, prior and informed consent)? How it applies to forest carbon projects with communities and Indigenous peoples in Indonesia.
FPIC (free, prior and informed consent) is the right of Indigenous peoples and local communities to give or withhold their consent to a project that may affect their lands, territories or resources, before it starts and on the basis of full information, without pressure. In Indonesia it is often called PADIATAPA.
Why it matters
Forest carbon projects change how land is used and who benefits from it. Without genuine consent, projects face conflict, legal challenge, reputational damage and buyer withdrawal. Standards, investors and rating agencies now look at FPIC evidence as closely as carbon data. Permenhut 6/2026 also positions communities and customary forests as legitimate, equal participants in forestry carbon, which raises the bar for engagement.
How it is done
- Free: no coercion, intimidation or payment to secure agreement.
- Prior: consent is sought before activities and before key decisions, with time for internal discussion.
- Informed: information on benefits, risks, carbon rights, duration and obligations, in the local language and through community-chosen channels.
- Consent: given through the community’s own decision process, documented and revisitable.
Read our community engagement guide and farmer registration and consent.
Indonesia and Southeast Asia angle
FPIC is critical for projects on or near customary (adat) land, social forestry areas and community-claimed land within concessions. Decision-making structures vary widely between communities, from adat councils to village governments. See customary forest carbon.
Records matter. Keep minutes, attendance lists, materials used, the questions raised and the answers given, plus the final decision and how it was reached. Verifiers, rating agencies and buyers increasingly ask to see this trail, and a well-documented process protects both the community and the project when disputes arise later.
Common mistakes
- Treating socialisation meetings as consent.
- Consulting only village heads or elites.
- Explaining carbon in technical language people cannot use.
- No route to raise concerns later; link FPIC to a grievance mechanism.
FPIC is part of wider safeguards.
Frequently asked questions
Is FPIC a one-time signature?
No. FPIC is an ongoing process. Communities must be able to ask questions, negotiate terms and withhold or withdraw consent as the project changes.
What is FPIC called in Indonesia?
It is often referred to as PADIATAPA (Persetujuan Atas Dasar Informasi di Awal Tanpa Paksaan).
Do carbon standards require FPIC?
Most major standards and safeguard frameworks require some form of free, prior and informed consent where projects affect Indigenous peoples or local communities' rights to land and resources.