The rapid increase that occurred in Indonesia in palm oil production was almost exclusively through land expansion in the region reaching 92 percent, rather than intensification and increase in production. Land available for agricultural expansion began to be scarce on the islands of Java and Sumatra, the Government expanded oil palm plantations in Kalimantan and Papua.
The increasing expansion of oil palm plantations in forest areas is directly proportional to the high impact of damage to the carrying capacity of the environment. Oil palm plantations are one of the causes of greenhouse gases, triggering deforestation and social conflict with indigenous and local communities.
On the island of Sumatra, the area of oil palm plantations inside the conservation forest area reached 15,381.45 hectares. In protected forest areas, the area of oil palm plantations is 12,654.57 hectares. Whereas 584,539.88 hectares of oil palm plantations are in production forest areas. A total of 612,575.9 hectares of oil palm plantation land on the island of Sumatra are located within the forest area, thus the Government must immediately conduct licensing evaluations, as well as carry out supervision so that the same practices no longer occur.
