An Indonesian palm oil company has cleared hundreds of hectares of endangered elephant, tiger and orangutan habitat inside the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, according to an investigation by the Rainforest Action Network, which has started a website to document its findings.
Over the last six months, the company PT Agra Bumi Niaga has been clearing forest for palm plantations. It sells the palm oil to producer PT Koperasi Prima Jasa, which is operated by Wilmar International, RAN said, adding that Wilmar does business with PepsiCo, McDonalds, Nestle, Unilever and Procter and Gamble, among others.
PT Koperasi Prima Jasa has since stopped purchasing from PT Agra Bumi Niaga.
“This tragic loss of critical habitat for endangered wildlife is an egregious act of defiance by a rogue company that has already been censored by the Indonesian government for illegally destroying rainforest within the Leuser Ecosystem previously,” said Gemma Tillack, agribusiness campaign director with RAN, in a statement. “Immediate government intervention is needed to stop this forest clearance and to revoke the company’s permits.
