Deforestation from the Other Side
On April 5, 2016, The New York Times published an article featuring the devastating effects of deforestation on orangutans in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra. According to the article, over 10,000 square miles of forest were burnt down last fall, killing nine, orphaning seven and displacing over a hundred orangutans. The rate of deforestation has grown every year due to continued government contracts with large palm oil companies, allowing for the development of those lands. The smog from forest fires in recent years has spread to several neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Singapore. Conservationists have condemned the Indonesian government for its “unwise” decisions in signing contracts with large palm oil companies. However, they fail to realize the lack of options a developing nation like Indonesia has.
Most conservationist groups like the WWF or NRDC are based in already developed nations. Thus, it is easy for these groups to forget how other people have it. As of 2015, the annual income of the average Indonesian was $11,300, and 11.3 percent of its 250 million citizens lived below the poverty line. Sanitation and nutrition are some of the most prevalent issues that the government faces, and the government has subsidized bare necessities such as rice through multiple programs for its people. As a result, when an opportunity to expand its economy like a contract for palm oil arises, the government is readily willing to accept. The industry has been earning upwards of 15 billion dollars annually since 2011. This provides millions of jobs for Indonesians. Moreover, many of its citizens are cutting into the forest by themselves because of how desperate they are. To them, deforestation for palm oil is the only way out. It is saddening to see the images of orphaned, starved orangutans, but the image would be even worse if the primates were replaced by humans who couldn’t make ends meet.
The rate of deforestation has grown every year due to continued government contracts with large palm oil companies, allowing for the development of those lands.
Moreover, conservationists have no right to intervene in the development of other nations. During the Industrial Revolution, coal plants burned day and night and left cities covered in smog, much like Indonesia right now. However, it also provided jobs, made way for new technologies and improved the quality of life. One of the driving reasons this revolution was so successful was because it was allowed to run its own course. Back then, people were willing to sacrifice the environment for a better quality of life, so how can we condemn the Indonesians for doing the same, only a couple of centuries later? Not only is it unfair to halt the progress of countries like Indonesia because richer countries may be experiencing the shared effects of global warming, but stealing this opportunity from others is downright selfish.
Placing strict policies onto Indonesia also makes it nearly impossible for it to be a significant competitor in the world’s market. Current global industries like science and technology are dominated by affluent countries who have had years of research and billions invested in their fields. Thus, a Third World nation like Indonesia has neither products nor experience to offer that could possibly compete with them. This leaves only the choice of sacrificing environmental resources if it wants to be considered a serious competitor in the world’s market.
Moreover, the palm industry is only so lucrative because demand for palm oil is so high. Companies from abroad have all moved production to underdeveloped nations because production in Indonesia is much cheaper. Indonesia is receiving the blame because they are the ones to directly cause all the productions, but to solve this environmental crisis, we should look towards nations where this is all being fueled from. Environmental awareness is undeniably important, but until an ecofriendly alternative that doesn’t halt the progress of a developing country like Indonesia can be found, it is unfair to stop its expansion.