Environment

Palm Oil Industry to Halt Deforestation

Five leading palm oil producers announced they will stop expanding their plantations through deforestation—a move hailed by environmental groups.

The five join other corporations, including Cargill, that had already agreed to stop.

Palm oil is used in cooking and various products. It’s among the consumer items that create the greatest ecological damage.

Deforestation has endangered a third of all mammals in Indonesia, including orangutans.

It's estimated that the record deforestation accounts for 85 percent of Indonesia’s contribution to global warming.

Neighbouring Malaysia’s deforestation for plantation expansion ranks second-highest in the world.

Last year, pressure from environmental groups and customers forced a major paper supplier to stop its deforestation operations in Indonesia.

This photograph taken on February 25, 2014, during an aerial survey by Greenpeace on the Indonesia portion of Borneo, shows cleared trees in an area being developed for a palm oil plantation.