Papua is one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Containing the largest intact rainforest in Indonesia, Papua acts as a vital carbon sink and is home to critically endangered animals, including birds of paradise and tree kangaroos. Unfortunately, its dense forests and large swaths of previously untouched land make Papua a target for development projects. The latest threat comes in the form of the Indonesian government’s Food and Energy Estate mega-project.

The government has several Food and Energy projects underway, including on the islands of Borneo and Kalimantan. In Papua, the Merauke Food and Energy Estate project area spans nearly 3 million hectares. Mighty Earth believes that this scale makes Merauke the largest single deforestation project in the world. The Merauke Food and Energy Estate contains 2 major areas: one allocated for rice production being developed by Haji Isam’s Jhonlin group; and one allocated for sugar production controlled by the Fangiono family through the Merauke Sugar Group.

See the below map from Nusantara Atlas demonstrating deforestation in the rice side of the Merauke food estate.