Growing demand for patchouli oil is driving the industry in Indonesia, but at what cost?

SIMBORO, Indonesia (AP) — Tucked between the village and the forest, Haruna and his father-in-law worked diligently through the night distilling dried patchouli plants, stoking the boiler with firewood, drops of fragrant patchouli oil trickling into plastic bottles.

A sense of satisfaction washed over them as they watched the container fill with thick, rich brown oil, a sign of high-quality patchouli, the result of their hard work and precision.

Haruna, 42, who like many Indonesians only uses one name, is a patchouli farmer in Simboro, a sub-district of western Sulawesi. He and his father-in-law have been waiting in line for several weeks to finally be able to process their harvest in a modest steam distillation facility an hour’s drive from their farm. Demand for the plant’s oils has skyrocketed in recent years, and so too has the number of farmers in the region who grow and process it. But the trend has an uglier underbelly as Indonesia's vast rainforest is cleared to make way for patchouli farming. That loss of a vital ecosystem also increases the threat of landslides.

With a deep, earthy, musky scent, patchouli oil is derived from the leaves of the Pogostemon cablin plant, a member of the mint family. It's native to Southeast Asia, mostly in Indonesia. The aromatic oil is marketed for its calming effects, helping ease stress and anxiety. It's found in luxury fragrances, cosmetics and other wellness products. Social media trends have driven the most recent surge in interest in patchouli oil.

Patchouli thrives in Indonesia’s tropical climate, which supplies over 80% of the global market. Prices for one kilogram of patchouli oil for farmers can be up to 2.4 million rupiah ($147).

A vast tropical archipelago stretching across the equator, Indonesia is home to the world’s third-largest rainforest, with a variety of endangered wildlife and plants, including orangutans, elephants, the endemic bird Maleo, and giant forest flowers.

Patchouli has been a key commodity on Indonesia’s tropical island of Sulawesi since the early 2000s, but in just less than two years, it has become part of daily life in Mamuju City. Dried plants hang from homes' porches, while the bushy perennial herbs with their oval, often hairy, leaves can be easily found at the roadsides.

Deeper into the forest and beyond the villages, new lands are being cleared. Thousands of plastic cups shelter young patchouli seedlings, signaling that in a few months, yet more fields will be covered in the fragrant crop.

Local authorities are encouraging the community to get into the patchouli business to support their income. But West Sulawesi’s Environment and Forestry Agency has warned that the trend threatens the land and the people around it. As the rainforest gets cleared, slopes get less stable, making them more prone to landslides.

Zulkifli Manggazali, head of West Sulawesi’s Environment and Forestry Agency, said that patchouli cannot be planted on slopes with an angle of 45 degrees or more. "Because when patchouli is planted there, there will be erosion, flooding, and landslides,” he explained.

It is not known exactly how much land has been deforested for patchouli planting but as the trend grows, it cuts deeper and deeper into the forest. Patchouli distillation also has the potential to increase deforestation, as firewood is used from the surrounding forests to heat water for the steam distillation process.

In several areas where forests have been cleared to make way for patchouli plantations in the island, landslides have begun to take their toll. This January, a family was killed by a landslide in Mamuju. Their house was in a hilly, vulnerable area.

Local authorities at that time said that patchouli planting was not a main factor in the disaster, but it did play a part because patchouli had been planted nearby.

Hardi, who also uses one name, is a 36-year-old patchouli farmer. He has already harvested patchouli twice, and spends most of his days alongside his 60-year-old mother and brother on their one-hectare plantation. His land has turned into a bustling hub where they dry and cut patchouli before sending it off for distillation.

Before patchouli, Hardi cultivated cloves, but the long harvest period and declining market prices prompted him to make a change. He turned to patchouli, plants that are smaller and more like bushes, and chose to plant it on the steep hillside, an arduous location that demands a strenuous uphill walk of over 30 minutes.

The patchouli brings in enough money for him and his family's needs. But it's unsustainable: patchouli can only grow on the same land twice before farmers need to clear a new patch to farm on. It's another factor leading to deforestation.

Like many farmers, Hardi has no idea exactly where the oil ends up after it leaves his hands. The distillation owner, who buys the oil from him for around 1,400,000 rupiah ($86) per kilogram (two pounds), remains the sole link between his work and exporters, most of whom are based on Indonesia’s main island of Java, before it eventually reaches the global market.

For Manggazali from the environment agency, the cost isn't worth the prices the farmers and the surrounding communities would pay if their patchouli farming leads to landslide. "If a flood comes, everyone around there will be affected,” he said.

To avoid a spiraling trend of increased deforestation for patchouli, Manggazali suggests that the island would benefit from getting into a more sustainable industry.

“If patchouli has been planted, it should be replaced with productive trees, such as durian trees,” he said. “It also has economic value, but for the longer term.”

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A family rides on a motorcycle past a patchouli plantation, top left, and land which has been cleared to make way for a new one in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Patchouli oil is filtered at a refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A worker filters patchouli oil at a refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Smoke billows from a patchouli oil refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A man uses a chainsaw to cut firewood which will be used at a patchouli oil refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A worker puts firewood into a furnace at a patchouli oil refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Farmers slice dried patchouli in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer holds dried patchouli in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer sorts dried patchouli in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer uses a motorcycle to transport a sack of dried patchouli as a newly opened patchouli farm is seen in the background in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer tends to a patchouli plantation in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer stands near sacks of dried patchouli at a refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer holds a jerrycan of patchouli oil at a refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

A farmer throws firewood into a furnace at a patchouli refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers filter patchouli oil at a refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Workers filter patchouli oil at a refinery in Simboro, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

LONDON (AP) — Actor-comedian Russell Brand was granted conditional bail by a London court on Friday after appearing to face charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women.

Brand, 49, did not enter a plea. He previously denied the allegations made against him.

He was swarmed by photographers as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for his first hearing since he was charged last month with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Brand to present himself at the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey, in central London on May 30 and granted him bail on condition he keeps the court informed of where he is staying, either in the U.K. or in the U.S. He currently lives in Florida but is obliged to attend all future court appearances. If he doesn't abide by the conditions, he faces being remanded in custody.

The comedian, author and “Get Him To The Greek” actor, who wore an open shirt and jeans, listened intently to the details of the charges as he sat in the dock. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address and that he understood his bail conditions.

The alleged offenses took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in the Westminster area of central London. The accusers have not been identified.

Brand has been interviewed by police about the allegations, which he denies. Brand has denied engaging in “non-consensual activity.” In a video posted on X after he was charged, Brand said he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.

Brand is alleged to have raped a woman in 1999 at a hotel room in Bournemouth when she attended a Labour Party conference in the town. It is alleged that while the woman went to the bathroom, Brand removed some of his clothing and later pushed her on the bed, removed her underwear and raped her.

A second woman accuses Brand of grabbing her by the forearm and attempting to drag her into a male toilet at a television station in London in 2001.

A third accuser was a television worker Brand met in Soho, central London, in 2004. He is accused of grabbing her breasts before allegedly pulling her into a toilet and orally raping her.

The final complainant is a radio station worker who met Brand while he was working for Channel 4 on a spin-off of the “Big Brother” reality television program between 2004 and 2005. Brand is alleged to have grabbed her by the face with both hands, pushed her against a wall and kissed her before grabbing her breasts and buttocks.

The charges follow a September 2023 joint investigation by British media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times.

Known for his unbridled and risqué standup routines, Brand hosted shows on radio and television and wrote memoirs charting his battles with drugs and alcohol. He has appeared in several Hollywood movies and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012.

In recent years, Brand has largely disappeared from mainstream media but has built up a large following online with videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. He recently said he had moved to the United States.

Actor--comedian Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, to face charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

A person takes a smart phone picture as Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Russell Brand surrounded by media as he arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Russell Brand escorted by police and surrounded by the media arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, where he faces, rape and sexual assault charges involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Actor--comedian Russell Brand arrives at Westminster Magistrates' court in London, Friday, May 2, 2025, to face charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)