Indonesia has launched a **large-scale project** for the cultivation of **rice and sugarcane** in the region of **Papua**, located in the eastern part of the archipelago. Environmental advocates warn that this initiative could become **the world’s largest deforestation project**.
It could have **serious impacts on human rights** in a region that has faced conflicts with separatist groups and military abuses.
The plan aims to **ensure food security** for the country’s **280 million inhabitants**, as well as to use the crops for the production of [biofuels](https://noticiasambientales.com/compromiso-ambiental/el-ministerio-de-ambiente-cordobes-migro-su-flota-de-vehiculos-a-los-biocombustibles/).
### Deforestation ongoing and uncertain estimates
The Indonesian government has not yet **defined the exact magnitude of the project**, although official calculations suggest that it will cover **millions of hectares** dedicated to cultivation.
So far, **more than 11,000 hectares** have been deforested, an area **larger than Paris**, according to the NGO [**Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat**](https://pusaka.or.id/), which fights for indigenous rights and environmental conservation.
Satellite images analyzed by the firms **Mighty Earth** and **The TreeMap** show that the cleared areas include **marshes, mangroves, savannas, and shrublands**, ecosystems of high ecological value.
### Government’s stance and environmentalists’ response
The government argues that the affected lands are **degraded, already cultivated, or in need of “optimization”**, ensuring that some areas are **swamps with no agricultural utility**.
However, environmental experts contradict these claims. “Southern Papua has **low forests**, and the government does not understand the environment,” says **Samperante**.
In addition, **Mighty Earth** maps reveal that the [expansion of crops](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/el-cambio-climatico-podria-afectar-a-la-mitad-de-los-cultivos-del-mundo/) affects **peatlands and protected forests**, contradicting the **governmental moratorium** against deforestation.
Indonesia is one of the countries with **the highest deforestation rates** in the world, and Papua is home to some of the **last virgin areas** in the country. This project threatens to undo years of progress in **reconciling agricultural development and forest conservation**.
### Government defends food independence
President **Prabowo Subianto** has rejected criticisms, arguing that the project is an **economic necessity** for the fourth most populous country in the world.
In a speech in January, the president emphasized the urgency of **ensuring self-sufficiency in food and energy production**, stating that Indonesia could **stop importing rice as early as this year**.
### Military involvement in agricultural development
In Papua, the project is advancing rapidly. In the **Kaliki district**, **farmers**, with the support of the **military**, are working on planting rice on recently cleared land.
The military officer **Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani**, in charge of the **food resilience team at the Ministry of Agriculture**, stated that the land used was **”neglected and unproductive”**.
The military has played a key role in the initiative, providing **tools, equipment, and agricultural machinery** to local farmers.
However, some sectors question the army’s involvement in a territory with a **history of abuses against separatists**, which **could limit the ability of residents to openly oppose the project**, according to the NGO **Perkumpulan Harmoni Alam Papuana**.
### Doubts about the project’s viability
Despite the progress of the plantation, experts point out technical challenges. The region’s soil is **too acidic**, and the climate is **too extreme** for the effective cultivation of rice and sugarcane.
Food security is crucial, but it must be implemented **in places capable of absorbing production without destroying Indonesia’s natural heritage**.
*Cover photo: Yusuf WAHIL*
