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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

SIMBORO, Indonesia--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 ...

Demand for the patchouli plant’s oils has skyrocketed in recent years, and so too has the number of farmers in the region who now grow and process it. SIMBORO, Indonesia — Tucked between the ...

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 ...

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