Indonesia’s oil palm plantation corporations are allocated massive land concessions based on the argument that they bring jobs and development to remote areas. Yet decades of research have shown that the quality of plantation jobs is low and the loss of customary livelihoods severe. Why then do plantations continue to expand? To answer this question, Li explores the continued relevance of the colonial “myth of the lazy native;” the climate of impunity established with the eradication of the plantation workers’ union in 1966; and the promise that sustainability certification can turn “bad oil” into good.