Tom Johnson is the founder and editor of The Gecko Project, an investigative journalism initiative established to shine a light on the corruption driving land grabs and the destruction of tropical rainforests.

The Gecko Project seeks to create and maintain a sense of urgency over the role of large land deals, predominantly for food production, in some of the most pressing global challenges: climate change, the collapse of biodiversity, food security, and the rights of indigenous peoples and other rural communities.

Tom manages investigations and cross-border collaborations with The Gecko Project’s partner publications across Asia.

Basic information

Name
Tom Johnson
Expertise
Investigative reporting
Country
United Kingdom

Supported projects

The Consultant: Why did a palm oil conglomerate pay $22m to an unnamed ‘expert’ in Papua?

  • Corruption
  • Environment

MONAKWARI - This investigation examines a $22 million “consultancy fee” paid by one of the world’s largest palm oil conglomerates, the Korindo Group, in connection with the acquisition of a shell company that held permits to establish an oil palm plantation in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua.