After years of decreasing deforestation rates, Indonesia's palm oil industry has seen a resurgence in forest clearing, particularly on peatlands and in Borneo and Papua.
Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, experienced an increase in deforestation for palm oil plantations in 2023, marking a shift from a decade-long downward trend.
A significant portion of this deforestation occurred on carbon-rich peatlands, exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions.
The increase in deforestation is concentrated in Indonesian Borneo and Papua, moving away from the traditional palm oil heartland of Sumatra.
Key quote:
"So emissions from the palm oil [industry] is around a fifth of Indonesia’s emissions."
— Herry Purnomo, senior scientist and deputy country director at CIFOR
Why this matters:
The resurgence of deforestation in Indonesia for palm oil cultivation raises serious environmental concerns, particularly regarding carbon emissions and biodiversity loss. This trend challenges global efforts to combat climate change and highlights the need for sustainable agricultural practices and effective forest conservation policies.
Tropical forests host a rich diversity of plant and animal life and process vast amounts of carbon dioxide. Therefore, researchers have been particularly interested in how these ecosystems might be affected by climate change.
The region has long been at the centre of territorial conflicts, but pressure has grown in recent years as agricultural, mining and timber operations invade Indigenous lands
