In a bold and controversial move, Indonesia has unveiled plans to clear forests equivalent in size to Belgium to cultivate sugarcane-derived bioethanol, rice, and various other food crops. This massive deforestation effort, which could displace Indigenous communities dependent on these landscapes for their sustenance, is raising alarms among environmental watchdogs.
The intended deforestation is part of a government-backed initiative touted as the largest planned deforestation operation currently in progress worldwide. Stretching across a vast tropical archipelago that crosses the equator, Indonesia possesses the planet’s third-largest rainforest, a sanctuary for numerous endangered wildlife and plant species such as orangutans, elephants, and giant forest flowers, some of which are native exclusively to the region.
For decades, Indonesia has been developing food estates – extensive plantations aimed at bolstering the nation’s food security, albeit with mixed results. This concept was rejuvenated during the administration of former President Joko Widodo from 2014 to 2024. Under the current presidency of Prabowo Subianto, these objectives have been broadened to incorporate crops for biodiesel production, including bioethanol, a renewable energy source derived from plants like sugarcane.
Prabowo expressed confidence in October 2024, stating, “I am confident that within four to five years at the latest, we will achieve food self-sufficiency. We must be self-sufficient in energy, and we have the capacity to achieve this.” The International Energy Agency notes that biofuels, including bioethanol, are crucial in reducing transport-related carbon emissions, offering a lower-carbon alternative for sectors reliant on fossil fuels like trucking, shipping, and aviation. However, the agency cautions that biofuel expansion should sustainably minimize impacts on land use, food sources, and environmental factors.
Indonesia’s plans raise significant concerns due to its history of deforestation. Over 74 million hectares (285,715 square miles) of its rainforests have been destroyed or degraded for palm oil, paper, and rubber plantations, among other commodities, since 1950. This is according to Global Forest Watch, underscoring the pressing need for sustainable development.
While Indonesia boasts vast agricultural potential for bioethanol production due to its large agricultural lands, sustainable feedstocks like sugarcane and cassava remain insufficient. The country’s previous efforts to introduce bioethanol-blended fuel in 2007 were short-lived, discontinued due to inadequate feedstock supply. Now, the government is accelerating its food and energy estate mega-project, which spans 4.3 million hectares (about 10.6 million acres) on Papua and Kalimantan islands. Experts warn that collectively, these project sites constitute the largest active deforestation project worldwide.
The most expansive site, known as the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, will exceed 3 million hectares (7.4 million acres) in Papua’s far east, according to Mighty Earth, an international environmental organization. This site overlaps with the Trans-Fly ecoregion, a habitat for critically endangered and endemic mammals, birds, and turtles, as well as several Indigenous communities.
Glenn Horowitz, CEO of Mighty Earth, described the looming transformation as “creating a zone of death in one of the most vibrant spots on Earth,” drawing an image of complete vegetation clearance and replacement with monoculture.
An unpublished Indonesian government feasibility assessment estimates that land clearing for the project could emit 315 million tons of CO2 equivalent. Conversely, an independent assessment by the Indonesia-based think tank, Center of Economic and Law Studies, posits that emissions could be twice as high.
Deforestation exacerbates erosion, harms diverse ecosystems, imperils wildlife and human populations reliant on the forest, and intensifies the impact of extreme weather phenomena. Despite this, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Subianto’s brother and envoy for energy and the environment, stated that the government plans to reforest 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres) of degraded and deforested land and claim this as a mitigating effort.
However, experts argue that reforestation, while crucial, cannot replicate the ecological functions of mature ecosystems, which are vital for carbon storage, water cycle regulation, and biodiversity support. Unfortunately, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture and the main project companies, Merauke Sugar Group and Jhonlin Group, declined to comment.
Local communities in Papua, who rely on these lands for fishing, hunting, and cultural practices, report adverse impacts from the developments. Vincen Kwipalo, a 63-year-old villager, shared that traditional hunting grounds are now sugarcane nurseries guarded and inaccessible, disrupting their way of life.
“We know the forests of Papua are one of the biggest lungs of the world, yet we are destroying it,” Kwipalo lamented. “Indonesia should be proud to protect Papua … not destroy it.”
Environmental advocacy groups warn that the developments will have long-term implications for Indigenous populations, questioning where they will now hunt, fish, or live. Horowitz queried, “For an Indigenous community that’s relied on the rainforest for centuries, are they supposed to live in a sugar plantation?”