Dokumen Indonesia:
Oil palm plantation expansion takes place massively
Every 10 minutes, Indonesia loses almost 4 times the football field.
The area of oil palm plantations in Indonesia continues to grow. Based on data from the Directorate General of Plantation of the Ministry of Agriculture, until 2017, the area of oil palm plantations reached 12.3 million hectares, increasing 7.6 million hectares compared to 2001. The expansion of large-scale oil palm plantations occurred in 2006 covering an area of 1.1 million hectares, then in 2013 as much as 892 thousand hectares, and three years later covering an area of 655 thousand hectares.
The results of the research of Kemen Austin from RTI International with Amanda Schwantes from Duke University published in the journal Environmental Research Letters in February 2019 showed that the expansion of oil palm plantations in the period 2001-2016 led to the loss of 23 percent of Indonesia’s forest cover. The rest, deforestation is caused by 20 percent bush, 15 percent small-scale agriculture, the woodworking industry is 14 percent, and another cause 28 percent.
Expansion of oil palm plantations during 2001-2016, when on average it has caused deforestation of 130,061 ha per year. This figure makes Indonesia lose the forest almost 4 times the ball field every 10 minutes. If the expansion of oil palm plantations continues to be allowed, then the area of Indonesian forests is reduced, even one day later, it could be a history.
