Palm Oil Development Fueling Demise of Biodiversity 'Crown Jewel': Report
Published on Wednesday, November 12, 2014
by Common Dreams
Palm Oil Development Fueling Demise of Biodiversity 'Crown Jewel': Report
Multinational snack companies at risk of contributing to destruction of one of the most 'biodiverse ecosystems documented by science'
by Lauren McCauley, staff writer
Indonesia's Leuser Ecosystem, one of the most "biodiverse ecosystems ever documented by science," is facing imminent threat from industrial development, according to a new report published Wednesday by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN).
The Leuser Ecosystem, located on the island of Sumatra, covers over 6.5 million acres and is described as being "like nowhere else on Earth." The region boasts some of the highest levels of plant and animal diversity worldwide, with at least 105 mammal species, 382 bird species, and 95 reptile and amphibian species.
Despite being protected under Indonesian law, the ecosystem is "under siege" from industrial development, spurred by global palm oil demand, coupled with a pending government green-light to further development, according to the new report, The Last Place on Earth - Exposing the Threats to the Leuser Ecosystem: A Global Biodiversity Hotspot Deserving Protection (pdf).
"The Leuser Ecosystem is one of the world’s most richly biodiverse landscapes, and millions of people depend on it for their food, water and livelihoods. But the fate of this crown jewel of Indonesia’s natural legacy—home to tigers, orangutans, rhinos, elephants and sun bears—depends on urgent choices made right now," said Gemma Tillack, RAN agribusiness campaign director, in a press statement.
More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/12/palm-oil-development-fueling-demise-biodiversity-crown-jewel-report
