Key Takeaways
- From 2000 to 2020, palm oil plantations in Indonesia caused the deforestation of over 10 million hectares of rainforest, equivalent to the size of Iceland.
- In Malaysia, between 2000 and 2018, approximately 3.5 million hectares of forest were cleared specifically for palm oil production.
- Globally, palm oil expansion accounted for 8% of total tropical deforestation between 2000 and 2012, affecting 3.5 million hectares.
- Palm oil expansion in Africa deforested 200,000 ha across Congo Basin countries from 2015-2022.
- Over 50% of Sumatran orangutan habitat, approximately 2 million hectares, has been lost to palm oil plantations since 1985.
- Palm oil deforestation has caused a 60% decline in tiger populations in Sumatra, affecting 100,000 hectares of core habitat.
- Palm oil expansion released 1.5 gigatons of CO2 from deforestation between 2000 and 2019.
- Indonesian palm oil peatland drainage emits 1.6 billion tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
- Palm oil deforestation contributes 4% of global land-use change emissions, 500 MtCO2/year.
- Palm oil production employs 3.2 million Indonesians but displaces 1.5 million small farmers.
- In Malaysia, palm oil contributes 5.5% to GDP but increases rural poverty by 15% due to land grabs.
- Indonesia's palm oil exports generated $25 billion in 2022, yet 40% of workers earn below poverty line.
- Indonesia's palm oil moratorium since 2018 covered only 20% of new plantations.
- RSPO certified just 19 million hectares of palm oil land by 2023, 20% of total.
- EU deforestation regulation bans palm oil imports linked to post-2020 clearing.
Palm oil deforestation has devastated vast rainforest areas and wildlife across the tropics.
Biodiversity and Habitat Loss
Biodiversity and Habitat Loss Interpretation
Deforestation Area and Rates
Deforestation Area and Rates Interpretation
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Interpretation
Policy and Regulation
Policy and Regulation Interpretation
Socio-Economic Impacts
Socio-Economic Impacts Interpretation
Sources & References
- Reference 1GREENPEACEgreenpeace.orgVisit source
- Reference 2WWFwwf.org.myVisit source
- Reference 3SCIENCEscience.orgVisit source
- Reference 4NATUREnature.comVisit source
- Reference 5GLOBALFORESTWATCHglobalforestwatch.orgVisit source
- Reference 6CHAINREACTIONRESEARCHchainreactionresearch.comVisit source
- Reference 7NEWSnews.mongabay.comVisit source
- Reference 8RAINFOREST-RESCUErainforest-rescue.orgVisit source
- Reference 9WRIwri.orgVisit source
- Reference 10FAOfao.orgVisit source
- Reference 11OAKLANDINSTITUTEoaklandinstitute.orgVisit source
- Reference 12GLOBALWITNESSglobalwitness.orgVisit source
- Reference 13WETLANDSwetlands.orgVisit source
- Reference 14WEFORUMweforum.orgVisit source
- Reference 15THEGUARDIANtheguardian.comVisit source
- Reference 16MDPImdpi.comVisit source
- Reference 17LINKlink.springer.comVisit source
- Reference 18USGSusgs.govVisit source
- Reference 19EFLORAFRICAeflorafrica.orgVisit source
- Reference 20MPOBmpoB.gov.myVisit source
- Reference 21RAINFORESTFOUNDATIONUKrainforestfoundationuk.orgVisit source
- Reference 22IPIPOTATOipipotato.orgVisit source
- Reference 23PLOSplos.orgVisit source
- Reference 24CONSERVATIONconservation.orgVisit source
- Reference 25AIDENVIRONMENTaidenvironment.orgVisit source
- Reference 26ORANGUTANorangutan.orgVisit source
- Reference 27WORLDWILDLIFEworldwildlife.orgVisit source
- Reference 28WWFwwf.panda.orgVisit source
- Reference 29BORNFREEbornfree.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 30BIRDLIFEbirdlife.orgVisit source
- Reference 31RHINOSrhinos.orgVisit source
- Reference 32PANTHERApanthera.orgVisit source
- Reference 33BEARCONSERVATIONbearconservation.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 34PANGOLINpangolin.orgVisit source
- Reference 35BUTTERFLY-CONSERVATIONbutterfly-conservation.orgVisit source
- Reference 36FISHBIOfishbio.comVisit source
- Reference 37CORALScorals.orgVisit source
- Reference 38BATCONSERVATIONbatconservation.orgVisit source
- Reference 39AMPHIBIAWEBamphibiaweb.orgVisit source
- Reference 40LORISCONSERVATIONlorisconservation.orgVisit source
- Reference 41MALAYTAPIRmalaytapir.orgVisit source
- Reference 42JANEGOODALLjanegoodall.orgVisit source
- Reference 43WORLDPHEASANTworldpheasant.orgVisit source
- Reference 44ENTOMOLOGYTODAYentomologytoday.orgVisit source
- Reference 45HORNBILLhornbill.orgVisit source
- Reference 46REPTILE-DATABASEreptile-database.orgVisit source
- Reference 47THEPEREGRINEFUNDtheperegrinefund.orgVisit source
- Reference 48IUCNiucn.orgVisit source
- Reference 49LEPIDOPTERISTSlepidopterists.orgVisit source
- Reference 50CROCODILIANcrocodilian.comVisit source
- Reference 51BATCONbatcon.orgVisit source
- Reference 52CONGO-CONSERVATIONcongo-conservation.orgVisit source
- Reference 53CLIMATECENTRALclimatecentral.orgVisit source
- Reference 54IPCCipcc.chVisit source
- Reference 55MALAYMAILmalaymail.comVisit source
- Reference 56POLETPROJECTpoletproject.orgVisit source
- Reference 57BBCbbc.comVisit source
- Reference 58IEABIOENERGYieabioenergy.comVisit source
- Reference 59CLIMATEACTIONTRACKERclimateactiontracker.orgVisit source
- Reference 60TRANSPORTENVIRONMENTtransportenvironment.orgVisit source
- Reference 61IMPERIALimperial.ac.ukVisit source
- Reference 62CARBONBRIEFcarbonbrief.orgVisit source
- Reference 63GHANAWEBghanaweb.comVisit source
- Reference 64AGRICULTUREagriculture.comVisit source
- Reference 65SOILCARBONsoilcarbon.orgVisit source
- Reference 66CIRADcirad.frVisit source
- Reference 67IPNIipni.netVisit source
- Reference 68GLOBALCARBONPROJECTglobalcarbonproject.orgVisit source
- Reference 69ETHICALCONSUMERethicalconsumer.orgVisit source
- Reference 70WETLANDRESTORATIONwetlandrestoration.orgVisit source
- Reference 71WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 72BPSbps.go.idVisit source
- Reference 73ILOilo.orgVisit source
- Reference 74HRWhrw.orgVisit source
- Reference 75GHANAghana.gov.ghVisit source
- Reference 76ADBadb.orgVisit source
- Reference 77OXFAMoxfam.orgVisit source
- Reference 78CIFORcifor.orgVisit source
- Reference 79IBGEibge.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 80INDIAindia.gov.inVisit source
- Reference 81AMNESTYamnesty.orgVisit source
- Reference 82IETAieta.orgVisit source
- Reference 83WIEGOwiego.orgVisit source
- Reference 84PERUperu.gob.peVisit source
- Reference 85RSPOrspo.orgVisit source
- Reference 86FINANCEfinance.go.idVisit source
- Reference 87FASTMARKETSfastmarkets.comVisit source
- Reference 88ICRAFicraf.orgVisit source
- Reference 89REUTERSreuters.comVisit source
- Reference 90WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 91ITUC-CSIituc-csi.orgVisit source
- Reference 92SEAOFINDIAseaofindia.comVisit source
- Reference 93LANDMATRIXlandmatrix.orgVisit source
- Reference 94IFADifad.orgVisit source
- Reference 95MONGABAYmongabay.comVisit source
- Reference 96ENVIRONMENTenvironment.ec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 97BRGMbrgm.frVisit source
- Reference 98NBIMnbim.noVisit source
- Reference 99CBPcbp.govVisit source
- Reference 100FUNDOAMAZONIAfundoamazonia.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 101ANTARANEWSantaranews.comVisit source
- Reference 102ENERGYenergy.ec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 103PNGpng.gov.pgVisit source
- Reference 104GOUVERNEMENTgouvernement.frVisit source
- Reference 105MOCmoc.gov.ghVisit source
- Reference 106UN-REDDun-redd.orgVisit source
- Reference 107GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 108JUSTICEFORALLjusticeforall.orgVisit source
- Reference 109ISPO-KPisPO-kp.gov.idVisit source
- Reference 110GOVERNMENTgovernment.nlVisit source
- Reference 111MINAMminam.gob.peVisit source
- Reference 112NYDFnydf.orgVisit source
- Reference 113ISEASiseas.edu.sgVisit source
- Reference 114SGXsgx.comVisit source
- Reference 115OAGoag.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 116COMIFACcomifac.orgVisit source
- Reference 117PROFORESTproforest.netVisit source
- Reference 118POLICYpolicy.trade.ec.europa.euVisit source






