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.

Tom Johnson

Basic information

Name
Tom Johnson
Title
Investigative journalist
Expertise
Environmental issues
Country
United Kingdom
City
London

Supported projects

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

  • Corruption
  • Environment

MANOKWARI - 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.