When most people think of deforestation, their minds immediately jump to the Amazon rainforest in South America. While the destruction of the Amazon is an absolute tragedy, there is another, equally catastrophic ecological disaster happening on the other side of the world that receives far less political attention. The ancient, incredibly biodiverse rainforests of Southeast Asia—particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia—are being intentionally set on fire and bulldozed into oblivion. And the reason they are being destroyed can likely be found in your bathroom cabinet or your kitchen pantry right now. It’s called palm oil.
The Omnipresence of Palm Oil
Palm oil is an incredibly versatile and cheap vegetable oil. It is used in nearly 50% of the packaged products found in modern supermarkets. You will find it in shampoo, lipstick, ice cream, instant noodles, and chocolate bars. Because the global demand for this cheap ingredient is so astronomically high, corporations have engaged in massive, illegal land grabs. They burn down millions of acres of virgin rainforest to create flat, uniform land where they can plant endless rows of oil palm trees. These massive fires release thick, toxic smog that frequently chokes entire neighboring countries, causing widespread respiratory crises for millions of people.
The Extinction of the Orangutan
The ecological cost of this corporate greed is devastating. The rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra are some of the only places on Earth where critically endangered species like the orangutan, the Sumatran tiger, and the pygmy elephant live in the wild. When the forests are burned, these animals are either killed in the fires, starve to death, or are actively hunted by plantation workers who view them as agricultural pests. We are literally driving our closest evolutionary cousins to extinction so that massive food conglomerates can save a few cents on the production of a candy bar.
Political Corruption and Consumer Power
Why do local governments allow this to happen? The answer is severe political corruption. The palm oil industry is incredibly lucrative, and many politicians turn a blind eye to illegal logging and burning in exchange for bribes and economic kickbacks. But we are not powerless. The global political pressure on major corporations to use only strictly certified, sustainable palm oil is growing. As consumers, we can demand supply chain transparency. We must force politicians in developed nations to ban the import of products linked to illegal deforestation. If we do not stop the burning of Southeast Asia, we will lose one of the most vital lungs of our planet forever.