Conservation Innovations: How Sustained Resistance Is Saving One of the Earth’s Most Critical Rainforests From Corporate Greed
From The Observatory
The Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia is one of the most important rainforests left on Earth. Located on the island of Sumatra, it’s the only place where orangutans, rhinos, elephants, and tigers still live together in the wild. This massive forest also helps fight climate change by storing carbon and provides clean water and resources to millions of people, including Indigenous communities who have protected it for generations.
But Leuser is under threat, mostly from palm oil production. Palm oil is used in half of all supermarket products—like cookies, shampoo, and makeup. To grow palm oil, companies destroy forests, drain peatlands, and harm animals and people. Some palm oil is grown illegally inside Leuser, leading to fires, smoke, and loss of wildlife.
In 2012, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) started a campaign to stop this destruction. They tracked palm oil from the forest to major brands like PepsiCo and Nestlé, exposing how these companies were connected to deforestation. The campaign used satellite images, films, protests, and celebrity support to raise awareness.
As pressure grew, over 200 companies promised to use only palm oil that does not harm forests or people. Some progress was made, like restoring damaged land and starting forest monitoring programs. Local governments, communities, and companies began working together on larger conservation projects in areas like Aceh Tamiang.
However, problems remain. Not all companies are fully following the rules, and some still sell harmful palm oil to less-regulated countries. The fight isn’t over.
The Leuser campaign shows that activism, transparency, and partnerships can protect nature. It’s a model for saving rainforests everywhere. But it needs ongoing support—from people around the world—to make sure the forests, animals, and Indigenous lands are truly safe for the future.
Read the full article “Conservation Innovations: How Sustained Resistance Is Saving One of the Earth’s Most Critical Rainforests From Corporate Greed” by Laurel Sutherlin
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
