akar.earthForest Carbon and EUDR in Maluku
Forest carbon in Maluku: Manusela forests on Seram, sago swamps, Aru and Seram mangroves, nutmeg and clove agroforestry, customary sasi and low EUDR exposure.
Maluku is an island province with large rainforest on Seram and Buru, extensive mangroves and sago swamps, and the nutmeg and clove gardens that made it the original Spice Islands. Forest protection, spice agroforestry and blue carbon fit best. EUDR exposure is low because its main products are not covered.
Geography and forest types
Maluku spans hundreds of islands between Sulawesi and Papua. The main ones are Seram, Buru, Ambon, the Banda Islands, the Kei Islands, the Aru Islands, the Tanimbar Islands and many smaller groups. North Maluku is a separate province.
Forest types vary widely:
- Seram holds lowland, hill and montane rainforest. Manusela National Park protects a large block in the island’s centre, with endemic birds such as the salmon-crested cockatoo.
- Buru has rainforest and drier forest, and is known for cajuput (eucalyptus-like oil) trees.
- Aru and Tanimbar are flatter islands with lowland forest, savanna and extensive mangroves. Aru’s fauna is closer to New Guinea’s.
- Sago swamps are widespread in lowlands on Seram, Aru and other islands, providing the traditional staple food.
Peat and mangroves
Peat is limited. Mangroves are extensive, especially around the Aru Islands, southern Seram and Tanimbar. They support fisheries, shellfish and coastal protection. Pressure is lower than on Java or Sulawesi, but development, logging and pond construction affect some areas. Mangrove conservation is a strong blue carbon option, with VM0033 as the reference methodology.
Main commodities and drivers of land-use change
- Nutmeg: the Banda Islands are the historic origin of nutmeg, and it is still grown under tall canarium shade trees in agroforestry. See nutmeg.
- Clove: originally from the northern Moluccas, now grown widely across Maluku. See clove.
- Sago: harvested from natural and semi-managed sago palm stands.
- Coconut, cocoa and cajuput oil: other crops; only cocoa is covered by EUDR.
- Fisheries: a major economic sector.
Forest pressure comes from logging concessions, farm expansion, and proposals for large-scale plantations or mining on some islands. Large proposals on Aru have historically drawn strong community and civil society opposition.
Which carbon project types fit
| Project type | Fit in Maluku | Key issue |
|---|---|---|
| Forest protection (REDD+) | Seram, Buru, Tanimbar forests outside parks | Credible threat; low historical deforestation |
| Spice agroforestry | Nutmeg and clove gardens with shade trees | Existing trees in baseline |
| Sago forest conservation | Lowland sago swamps | Measurement methods for sago |
| Mangrove conservation | Aru, Seram, Tanimbar | Remote logistics |
Nutmeg grown under canarium is already a high-carbon system. Credits can come from expanding or restoring it on degraded land, not from existing stands. Low historical deforestation makes project-scale REDD+ baselines hard to justify; jurisdictional approaches may fit better. See the REDD+ hub.
EUDR exposure
EUDR exposure is low. Nutmeg, clove, sago, coconut and fish are not on the EUDR list. Covered commodities in small volumes are cocoa and wood. Exporters of these need plot geolocation, evidence of no deforestation since 31 December 2020 and legality evidence.
Customary land and social forestry
Customary tenure is strong across Maluku. Villages (negeri) hold customary territories (petuanan) covering land, forest and sea. Sasi is a customary practice that temporarily bans harvesting a resource so it can recover, and it applies to nutmeg, fish, forest products and more. It is a natural foundation for community-based forest and mangrove management.
Permenhut 6/2026 recognises customary communities and social forestry groups as legitimate carbon participants. In Maluku, the negeri and its customary institutions are the natural project partners. See customary forest carbon.
Logistics
Island logistics raise costs. Monitoring that combines satellite data with targeted field plots is usually more practical than dense ground inventories. Planning field campaigns around sea conditions is essential.
Sago forests and carbon
Sago palm stands are a distinctive ecosystem in Maluku. They grow in freshwater swamps and wet lowlands and are harvested by felling mature palms for their starch, after which new suckers grow from the same clump. Managed this way, sago stands keep a fairly stable carbon stock while feeding families. Converting sago swamps to drained agriculture releases soil carbon and destroys a food system. There is not yet a widely used crediting method designed specifically for sago, so projects would need to adapt existing wetland and forest methods carefully and measure palm biomass with appropriate equations. For now, sago conservation is best treated as a co-benefit of wider forest and wetland protection. See allometric equations.
Practical next steps
Map customary territories, forest estate status and any proposed concessions first. Compare with North Maluku and West Papua, and see the forest carbon hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Maluku exposed to the EUDR?
Only lightly. Nutmeg, clove, sago, coconut and fisheries, the province's main products, are not EUDR commodities. Small volumes of cocoa and wood are covered.
Which forest carbon projects fit Maluku?
Forest protection on Seram, Buru and other large islands, nutmeg and clove agroforestry, sago forest conservation and mangrove conservation in Aru, Seram and other island groups.
What is sasi?
Sasi is a customary rule system in Maluku that temporarily closes harvesting of a resource, such as nutmeg, fish or forest products, to let it recover. It is a strong base for community resource management.