Rudi Putra

Rudi Putra is an Indonesian biologist who received a Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014 for his efforts to combat illegal logging, forest encroachment for palm oil production, and policies that open endangered ecosystems to mining and plantation industries.

[1] He was recognized for his campaign to reclaim the land under illegal palm oil plantations in the Leuser Ecosystem, Sumatra, and to clear them in order to re-establish habitat for endangered orangutans, tigers, rhinos, and elephants, as well as lobbying against political plans to remove protected status from Aceh's primary forests.

[3] In the course of rescuing the land from the 'oilers' and enabling the natural ecosystems to regain their hold, Putra's approach was soundly based on grassroots innovations rather than direct lobbying of local government.

[4][5] This approach involved supporting a programme of local community education about the problem and how the scale of illegal logging threatens the lives not only of animals but also the people of Aceh.

[7] The six winners in 2014 were Desmond D'Sa is from South Africa, Suren Gazaryan from Russia, Ramesh Agrawal from India, Ruth Buendia from Peru, Helen Slottje from America, and Putra Son representing Indonesia.