A new report showed that critically endangered orangutans are losing their Indonesian habitat to palm oil plantations, according to Mongabay.
What’s happening?
The U.S.-based Rainforest Action Network (RAN) used high-resolution satellite imagery to identify 6,368 acres of protected Indonesian rainforest that has been wiped out since 2015. In its place, 1,613 acres of palm plantations have been found.
A 2020 European Union protection prohibiting goods grown on deforested land served only to accelerate ecosystem destruction in Indonesia. In its report, RAN detected a quadrupling of the deforestation rate between 2021 and 2023.
Why is Indonesian deforestation important?
“The ongoing destruction of one of the world’s most critical ecosystems is a wake-up call for brands, banks, and consumers alike,” said Gemma Tillack, forest policy director at RAN, per Mongabay.
For starters, the reported deforestation is happening in Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve, where the vast majority of critically endangered Sumatran orangutans live. Destroying their habitat further jeopardizes their likelihood of survival.
Deforestation is also destroying peatland, which has been sequestering large amounts of carbon. Its area in Rawa Singkil has decreased by a fifth since 2014.
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Brands that have sourced palm oil from deforested areas may have been making goods in contravention of EU’s deforestation law. Likewise, banks that support traders and growers in the area may be exposed.
“Products we buy every day like Olay, Milo, Oreos, Lay’s, and CupNoodles are being exposed to illegal palm oil in their supply chains, and we have the receipts to prove it,” said Tillack, per Mongabay.
What’s being done about Indonesian deforestation?
Some companies have attempted to engage in agroforestry in Indonesia in order to meet food production needs while sharing the land with native trees, but those attempts have not been well-received.
In response to the report, Procter & Gamble said it had suspended sourcing from the region, and Nestlé has begun investigations. Mondelēz, PepsiCo, and Nissin Foods may also be using palm oil grown in these deforested areas of Indonesia.
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On the consumer side, you can make eco-conscious purchases to avoid using products sourced from deforested areas.
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