A number of NGOs have raised concern over the Indonesian government's plan to develop a massive food estate in Papua province.

The government hopes the 1.6 million hectare Integrated Food and Energy Estate in Merauke will turn Indonesia into one of the world's biggest food producers, growing rice, sugar cane, soybeans and maize.

But Indonesian environmentalist NGOs, such as Greenomics and Walhi, warn the project would amount to a land grab and cause local farmers to suffer because they would be unable to compete with major corporations.

And Ed McWilliams of the West Papua Advoacy team says it would exacerbate the already significant poverty and unemployment issues in Papua.

"This project, if it were to go forward, would involve the in-migration of a lot of labour, non-Papuans. They would be displacing many people who have traditional land tenure there. And there has been, as yet, no provision at all for fair and equitable settlement with these people who own the land or actually live on the land."