Just weeks after a major undercover field investigation by RAN exposed global food brands as sourcing illegally grown palm oil from within Indonesia’s nationally protected Rawa Singkil Wildlife Reserve, RAN is releasing fresh evidence of deforestation in the region connected to many of the same brands through a different supplier, PT Laot Bangko.
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Our undercover investigations expose rainforest destruction for palm oil, grown illegally in a protected wildlife reserve within the Leuser Ecosystem, and used to manufacture snack foods sold around the world.
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Field investigation teams with Rainforest Action Network have documented alarming evidence of fresh forest clearance this past May, 2019 within some of the most important remaining lowland rainforests in Indonesia. Located in the northeast section of the Leuser Ecosystem, the forests being destroyed contain internationally recognized concentrations of biological diversity. In particular, these rich forests are among the most valuable remaining habitat for critically endangered Sumatran elephants, who use the region being deforested as a crucial migration route connecting larger areas of intact forest.
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The Indonesian government’s palm oil company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) I has responded to recent revelations published by Rainforest Action Network that lowland rainforests have been cleared within its plantation, PTPN I Blang Tualang, with a statement of commitment to being a guardian of the forests of the Leuser Ecosystem.
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The amount of rainforest destruction in the Leuser Ecosystem has risen sharply in the critically important northeast lowlands of the Leuser over the first months of 2019. Satellite imagery and field investigations by Rainforest Action Network reveal that eight of the nine palm oil companies with concessions located in the lowland rainforests in the Leuser’s district of Aceh Timur have been actively clearing forests. A total of 606 acres was cleared during January to April 2019.
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Between April 9th and 11th, thousands of Indonesian protesters demonstrated against a proposed gold mining operation in front of the Acehnese Governor’s Office in Banda Aceh, as community members have also forcibly evicted mining company employees, effectively stopping the contested gold mining activities and operations in Beutong Ateuh Banggalang Sub-district.
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New satellite data obtained by RAN has revealed continued deforestation taking place within the Tripa peatland — one of the most critical peatlands left in the globally important Leuser Ecosystem. Active forest clearance is taking place in a palm oil concession operated by plantation company PT Surya Panen Subur II (PT SPS II) despite sanctions issued by the Government of Indonesia and despite the suspension of sourcing by some of the Snack Food 20: companies who once relied on this bad actor for cheap Conflict Palm Oil for years even after having made commitments to halt deforestation for candy.
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New satellite data obtained by RAN has revealed steady, continued deforestation taking place within one of the most critical lowland rainforest habitat corridors left in Indonesia. Located inside the globally important Leuser Ecosystem on the island of Sumatra, the active forest clearance is taking place in a palm oil concession operated by a plantation company called PT Nia Yulded (PT NY) and is occurring despite a presidential moratorium banning any further forest clearance for palm oil, which has included a special emphasis on the need to protect the biologically diverse forests of the Leuser.
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GPS: 4° 31′ 9.792″ N, 97° 45′ 9.234″ E
New satellite data obtained by RAN has revealed that a month after President Jokowi announced a three-year moratorium on the issuance of palm oil permits, as well as a review of existing permits, the Indonesian government-linked palm oil company PT Perkebunan Nusantara I (PTPN I) has continued to clear forests within an important corridor for the endangered Sumatran elephant inside the Leuser Ecosystem. PTPN I is operating in breach of the moratorium on forest destruction in the Leuser Ecosystem and should be subject to an investigation by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
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GPS: 2°51’33.54”N, 97°54’07.98”E PT. Indo Sawit Perkasa (PT. ISP) has continued to clear critically important lowland rainforests in its palm oil concession. Between June 2016 and September 2018, 125 hectares of forests were destroyed within the PT. ISP concession. Approximately 100 hectares alone have been cleared since January 2018, indicating an increase in destruction over the past nine months. This destruction was done in violation of a circular letter issued by a former governor of Aceh in June 2016 that instructed all palm oil companies to cease forest clearance.
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