Palm Oil – The Increasing Materiality of Deforestation and Biodivievisity Risks in Indonesia and Malaysia

Palm oil and its derivative ingredients constitute a third of all global vegetable oils. The expanding palm oil cultivation in Indonesia and Malaysia is correlated with deforestation, increased habitat loss, and threats to endemic species in some biodiversity hotspots. Palm monoculture creates Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, contributing to global climate change. Both domestic and foreign multinationals play a role in the cultivation and production of palm oil. These companies are responsible for reporting and helping to address the crisis of GHG and biodiversity loss stemming from deforestation in and around plantations. Such reporting is challenging due to the need for more data. Satellite data, including our work, presents a methodology that integrates remote sensing and geospatial data to map, measure, and analyze impacts and changes resulting from increasing palm oil cultivation. We measure key risk metrics related to biodiversity loss, forest morphology changes, and carbon loss from deforestation resulting from palm oil cultivation over twenty years, 2000-2021.