For the first time ever, researchers have plotted out the locations and tabulated the carbon stocks of more than 9.9 billion individual trees spread across the dry belt of land stretching between the southern edge of Africas Sahara Desert, and the wetter savannas and tropical forest closer to the equator. Until now, estimates of the carbon content in these dryland trees relied on lower-resolution satellite images, or on models that use algorithms to predict where they were located and how much carbon they hold. These estimates came with a lot of uncertainty, which made it difficult to account for carbon stocks or to track programs, such as Africas Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel, which aims to boost arable land in this part of the continent by planting trees. No one knows if theyre really planted and what is the carbon stock, said Martin Brandt, an associate professor and physical geographer at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. You could not monitor these things. Now, thanks to research Brandt and his colleagues published in the journal Nature March 1, it is possible to more accurately track the progress of these types of initiatives. The new method they developed to pinpoint the trees employs a type of artificial intelligence known as machine learning that mapped individual trees found in more than 326,000 NASA satellite images. Then, by coupling these data on billions of trees with on-the-ground weights and measurements, the team was able to link canopy size toThis article was originally published on Mongabay

JAKARTA The Indonesian government has rolled out a new fisheries management policy that, among other things, caps the catch quota for industrial fishers, but also allows foreign investment back into the marine capture sector. The government issued a decree on the policy change on March 6, aimed at maximizing state revenue from the fisheries sector. A key policy change is the introduction of quota-based capture in six fishing zones for industrial, local, and non-commercial fishers. The other major change is the lifting of a ban on foreign investment in the marine capture sector. The ban had been imposed in 2016 by the fisheries minister at the time, Susi Pudjiastuti, who blamed foreign-funded fleets for contributing to the depletion of Indonesias fish stocks. Mongabay reviewed the decree and found that foreign-funded fishing companies will now be allowed to operate in zones that cover some of Indonesias richest marine ecosystems, such as the Natuna Sea, Arafura Sea, Cendrawasih Bay, and Sawu Sea. Even so, some restrictions remain; the foreign stake in a given company is capped at 49%, with the controlling stake held by local investors. Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, the current fisheries minister, said he really want[s] these fishing zones to thrive and bring in investors from abroad, as quoted by state news agency Antara. Indonesias various fisheries management zones, or WPPs. Image courtesy of the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. The new capture quota, meanwhile, is based on the potential fish stocks and total allowable catch (TAC). TheThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Inside Bolivias Isiboro Scure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS), conservationists from Asociacin Armona rigged up a network of nine camera traps and 15 audio recorders. They were seeking out the horned curassow (Pauxi unicornis), or pilisto, as the Indigenous Yuracar people call the bird. TIPNIS is one of just three protected areas, all in Bolivia, where this critically endangered species has been recorded. For Asociacin Armona, this survey was just part of a wider effort in collaboration with local communities to protect Bolivias areas of natural beauty and its wildlife. This bird is found in only three parts of Bolivia: in Ambor National Park, Carrasco National Park and the Isiboro Scure National Park and Indigenous Territory and adjacent areas, says Tjalle Boorsma, director of Asociacin Armonas conservation program. Studies were carried out by Armonas director, Rodrigo Soria, in the Piln Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands, in Madidi National Park, and in the rainforest areas in foothill regions where it [was thought to] live, but it was not found there. Researchers wade across a stream in TIPNIS as part of their survey of the parks horned curassows. Image courtesy of Asociacion Armonia. The results of the camera and audio survey in TIPNIS have been encouraging for the conservation of horned curassow, since TIPNIS has long been where the highest population density of the species has been found, Boorsma says. The area is truly the last refuge of habitat in good condition for this species. Search for a bird endemicThis article was originally published on Mongabay

When flesh-footed shearwater chicks hatch from their eggs, their parents start working to fill the chicks stomachs with as much food as possible. They do this for about 80 to 90 days, regurgitating squid and fish into their chicks mouths. If all goes to plan, the chicks will grow into fledglings with feathers that will help them fly thousands of miles across the ocean. But as the worlds oceans have filled with microplastics tiny plastic particles that shearwaters can easily mistake for food fledglings are getting stuffed full of plastic instead of food. The outcome isnt good, according to experts. Scientists studying flesh-footed shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes) have long known that plastic consumption can lead to problems like reduced body condition, organ damage, and ultimately an early death. Now, new research in the Journal of Hazardous Materials shows that consumed plastic can also lead to a newly identified disease: a plastic-related fibrosis aptly called plasticosis. While this disease has thus far only been identified in flesh-footed shearwaters, experts say that nearly every organism including humans is being impacted by plastic in some way due to its proliferation in our environment and our ever-increasing exposure to it. One expert calls flesh-footed shearwaters the canary in the coal mine, forewarning us of what could happen to our own health if plastic production continues to accelerate as predicted. Researchers have identified a new plastic-related disease in flesh-footed shearwaters called plasticosis. Image by David Cook / Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0). AllThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Encountering his first paiche was such a surprise for Vctor Pealoza Lurici that he can still recall the event back in 2016. He was 16 years old at the time. Now, at age of 22, hes become an expert at catching this new giant fish of the freshwater scene in Bolivias Amazonian region. When asked what its like to catch paiche, Pealoza Lurici says its difficult and risky because of how large, alert, and patient the fish are. The important thing, he says, is that this work has become the mainstay of his familys livelihood. In the last 15 years, paiche (Arapaima gigas), also known as arapaima or pirarucu in other parts of the Amazon, has revolutionized the lives of communities living along the rivers that crisscross the Bolivian Amazon, despite the problems it represents as a non-native species. The Bolivian government still considers paiche to be an introduced species, rather than an invasive one, as more studies are needed to determine which varieties of fish are at risk due to its presence. According to the project Peces para la Vida or Fish for Life, financed by the Faunagua Foundation and other entities, paiche were first observed in Bolivia in 1976, despite being native to more northern areas of the Amazon such as Brazil and Peru. Heavy rains caused pools to overflow at a paiche hatchery at Lake Sandoval near Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios department in Peru, and the juvenile fish were swept into the MadreThis article was originally published on Mongabay

JAKARTA Activists have lambasted the Indonesian governments proposal to include gas in its clean energy transition program funded by industrialized countries. They said the inclusion of gas-fired power plants in Indonesias transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy would derail the countrys bid to lower its emissions to contribute to capping global warming at 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Indonesia was the worlds fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter in 2019, behind only China, the U.S., India and the EU as a whole. Its emissions largely come from deforestation and burning of coal, with the latter generating 61% of the countrys electricity. Emissions from Indonesias power sector are projected to keep increasing as the country grows its economy, the largest in Southeast Asia and 16th largest in the world by nominal GDP. As a part of its energy transition program to lower emissions from the power sector, the government plans to convert existing diesel fuel-fired power plants into gas-fired ones. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif argued that its the fastest way to curb emissions, as gas-fired power plants emit fewer emissions compared with diesel. This is the fastest way to reduce emissions and costs, from diesel fuel-fired to gas-fired, he said on Feb. 17. There are currently 5,200 diesel power plants in 2,130 locations throughout Indonesia. The plan is to convert at least 52 diesel plants into gas plants. At the initial stage of the plan, 33 diesel plants will be converted first. The oil and gas director-general at the energy ministry,This article was originally published on Mongabay

Bolivias failure to combat illegal gold mining generated a heated national debate last year. Numerous news sites published investigations into deforestation, pollution and corruption tied to the mining industry, while leading officials in congress and the UN made public calls for action by the central government, which had largely been silent on the issue. The biggest concern was that mining operations make free use of mercury a chemical that separates gold particles from soil despite the country having signed onto an international convention to ban the toxic chemical a decade ago. There were also concerns that mining was happening on land that hadnt been legally approved by regulators, allowing operations to dredge rivers, cut down trees and delegate work to foreign companies without proper oversight. In Bolivia, small-scale gold mining is the source of mercury emissions. Hundreds of tons of mercury are released into Indigenous territories every year, posing risks to peoples health and the environment and generating serious environmental injustices, Marcos Orellana, the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxic Substances and Human Rights, said last year. President Luis Arces government responded to the criticism this January by announcing plans to improve regulations on gold mining and mercury, at a cost of over $6.5 million. But conservationists and officials alike are concerned the plans wont be enough. Miners at a January press conference on mercury regulations. (Photo courtesy of the Bolivia Information Agency) One of the projects is a national action plan on mining, which still needs two yearsThis article was originally published on Mongabay

In 2020, the Indonesian government set a goal of restoring 600,000 hectares, or nearly 1.5 million acres, of mangrove ecosystems by 2024. Progress toward that goal has been slow: Indonesias Peatland and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) reported it had restored 34,911 hectares (86,267 acres) in 2021, more than its stated 30,000-hectare (74,000-acre) target for the year, but still a small percentage of the larger goal. Now, the 600,000-hectare target faces another challenge. A recently published countrywide map of suitable areas for mangrove restoration shows that just 193,367 hectares (477,820 acres) of mangroves, 30% of the target area, is actually suitable for restoration. The idea behind this new study, led by Sigit Sasmito of the National University of Singapore and Mohammad Basyuni of the University of North Sumatra and published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, was simple. We were triggered by the fact that there was a big plan to restore 600,000 hectares of mangrove in Indonesia, so we were curious about where to find the land, said co-author Daniel Murdiyarso, principal scientist at CIFOR-ICRAF. Mangrove restoration is much more complex than simply planting seedlings; whether those seedlings will grow depends on the substrate, hydrology and history of the area theyve been planted in, and whether they will persist in the long term is linked to the land tenure status of where theyre growing. And, according to Planet Indonesia executive director Adam Miller, planting is not necessarily even the most effective restoration method. Research and best practices have shownThis article was originally published on Mongabay

DRC community accuses Canadian miner of encroaching into their forests WALIKALE, Democratic Republic of Congo For the past 10 years, a Canadian-registered company, Alphamin Bisie, has been mining tin in a concession in Walikale, northwest of Goma, the principal city in North Kivu province. But residents of the area have not been consulted by the company as required by the countrys mining law. The law requires Alphamin to develop a cahier de charges, an agreement between a concession holder and affected communities of Banamwesi and Motondo, that commits the company to social development projects. This consultation would also allow an assessment of the environmental impacts of the mining project. Alphamin has not fulfilled this requirement. Instead, the company has quietly prospected beyond its concession areas into adjoining forests, according to a civil society activist who asked to remain anonymous for his own safety. Map with crosshatching showing where Alphamins concession areas overlap with the Banamwesi and Motondo community forest concessions (CFCL): the company is accused of mining in these areas without permission. Helicopters had been seen, he told Mongabay. The community, which was working to secure title to its land in the framework of the governments community forest project, contacted the territorys administrator. At the time, the company denied any occupation of the area, But, the activist told Mongabay, it was later confirmed that the company has actually begun operating within the boundaries of community forests. The forests belonging to Banamwesi and Motondo cover 13,300 and 23,100 hectares (33,000This article was originally published on Mongabay

SEPAKU/BALIKPAPAN/JAKARTA, Indonesia In 1977, when Darna was about 8 years old, her family moved from Indonesias central island of Java to Borneo, its largest. They were among the tens of thousands of families who participated in then-president Suhartos transmigration program, which aimed to ease crowding in Java by offering free tracts of land in other islands, less populated and developed, across the archipelago. Nearly 50 years later, Darna now faces the possibility of having to relocate her own family as part of another presidential initiative aimed at transforming Indonesian Borneo. In August 2019, President Joko Widodo announced that Darnas hometown of Sepaku in North Penajam Paser district, East Kalimantan province, would become the core zone of Indonesias new capital city, Nusantara. Mongabay interviewed Darna in October 2022, while she took a break from serving diners at her food stall along the main road in Sepaku. All of this area will be demolished for road expansion for the new capital, I heard, she said, referring to the handful of shops, houses and rice fields lining the road. For us, were OK with it. Its the governments right, you know. If they want to move us, thats OK. The Nusantara Point Zero is an icon for Indonesias new capital city, which lies at the heart of an expiring logging concession in eastern Borneo. Image by Basten Gokkon/Mongabay. The main road in Sepaku heading toward what will be the center of Nusantara. The plan is to demolish all properties in the areaThis article was originally published on Mongabay

A landmark agreement for a legally binding treaty aimed at protecting biodiversity and ensuring the sustainable use of resources in international waters has at last been reached by U.N. member states. The deal, more than 15 years in the making, was finalized on the evening of March 4 at U.N. headquarters in New York. Talks had overrun the two-week schedule into a final, grueling 36-hour negotiation marathon. The ship has reached the shore, a visibly exhausted Rena Lee of Singapore, president of the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, said in the final plenary, eliciting a standing ovation for her leadership. But it has not quite docked yet. The session was suspended, to reconvene at an unspecified future date when Lee hopes delegates will adopt the text with no further discussion. Delegates from 160 states and other parties reached consensus on: how to share benefits from high seas resources fairly; a framework for establishing and maintaining a network of marine protected areas (MPAs); new standards for conducting environmental impact assessments; mechanisms to support Global South nations to achieve treaty objectives and access marine technology; dispute resolution; and a funding structure. Everyone on Earth should breathe a collective sigh of relief, Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USAs senior ocean campaigner, told Mongabay. Although the treaty is pending formal adoption, we now have the legal framework to protect and better manage over half of our planet. IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, receiving a standing ovation. Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis.This article was originally published on Mongabay

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Centers Rainforest Investigations Network where Gerald Flynn is a fellow.   SIEM PANG, Cambodia Us locals cannot source benefits from the forest anymore, only the Oknhas can find benefits in the forest now, Samnang* said one afternoon in January, using a Khmer word for tycoons. His farm sits on the eastern banks of the Sekong River, in Siem Pang, a district of Cambodias northeastern Stung Treng province, which shares a border with Laos. Behind his small patch of land, a vast canopy of green stretches out as far as the horizon, with densely forested mountains rising against the skyline. Samnang pointed to faraway trails of smoke, the white wispy plumes the only indicator from the ground of human activity deep within the jungle. But Samnang and others living along the riverbank say theyve been aware of the industrial logging operation for months. Residents reported seeing a flurry of 18-wheel trucks repeatedly ferried across the Sekong River in the final months of 2022. The trucks returned full of timber, crossing back to the west side of the river where, villagers say, they were waved through newly constructed checkpoints set up alongside a road that was built sometime between March and April 2022, adjoining the new ferry crossing and an existing road that leads to Dong Kroloh village through a variety of older economic land concessions. Two ferries are seen in the Sekong river at the crossing point owned by T.S.M.W.: one larger vesselThis article was originally published on Mongabay

COLOMBO Sri Lankan authorities are considering banning the use of a human contraceptive injection for animals backed by calls from animal rights activists and vets, after a state-sanctioned chemical sterilization program drew serious criticism. The medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection, popularly sold under the brand name Depo-Provera, is intended for humans and had come under the spotlight when the government attempted to introduce it to stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) as a pilot project. The drug has often been surrounded in controversy due to its safety risks. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a black box warning on the contraceptive, citing that it may lead to bone density loss among humans. Vets and animal rights activists say the repercussions of using the injection on animals are even worse. The Veterinary Drug Control Authority (VDCA), which falls under the purview of the Department of Animal Production and Health, has not banned the use of this contraceptive for animals. The Public Health Veterinary Services office estimates Sri Lankas stray dog population to be around 3-4 million. A dog is set to undergo treatment for some injuries. Image courtesy of Embark. Harmful side effects Hemali Kothalawala, the director general of the Department of Animal Production and Health, said in the past, the VDCA has granted approval to import that jab only under special circumstances if it is to be used on animals. However, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority has granted approval to import the injection to be usedThis article was originally published on Mongabay

As the founding Chair of the Executive Board of the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), I have witnessed firsthand a groundbreaking effort to preserve one of Earths most essential ecosystems. Established in 2020, the GFCR hosts the first UN trust fund dedicated to Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), Life Below Water. As the worlds largest blended finance mechanism focused on ocean conservation, it can serve as a model for others working to reverse biodiversity loss. Coral reef health impacts the livelihoods and food security of an estimated one billion people, yet coral reefs are at extreme risk due to global climate change and local stressors including coastal development, overfishing, and plastic and nutrient pollution. Over half of the worlds coral reefs have already been lost, but it is not too late to act. Despite its immense importance, funding to improve ocean heath and for coral reef conservation, in particular has been scarce. Recent reports suggest that $175 billion per year is needed to achieve SDG 14 by 2030; however, according to the World Economic Forum, less than $10 billion was invested between 2015 and 2019. GFCR learning session with sugarcane farmers in Talanoa, Fiji on May 17, 2022. Photo courtesy of Global Fund for Coral Reefs. This is where a blended finance mechanism like the GFCR can have the greatest impact. Bringing together donors, nations, UN agencies, foundations, NGOs, and private investors, blended finance funds align private investment with public good to conserve coral reefs, deliverThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Theres a recent saying, grown popular among climate scientists: What happens in the Arctic doesnt stay in the Arctic. Now, new research adds to our understanding that, likewise, what happens in the Amazon Rainforest doesnt stay there. Researchers reporting in Nature Climate Change last month found that deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest may have knock-on effects for the climate in distant regions, potentially pushing key elements of the global climate system on the Tibetan Plateau and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet closer to climatic tipping points that could be catastrophic for humanity and our planets biodiversity. Earths climate is controlled by a complex network of interactions between its atmosphere, oceans, land, ice and biosphere. Scientists have identified many elements of this system that humanitys actions are presently pushing toward thresholds, or tipping points, beyond which changes become self-sustaining ultimately causing the whole Earth system to shift into a new state possibly hostile to life in its current forms. Earth system components that have a critical threshold beyond which a system reorganizes are called tipping elements, explained study co-author Jingfang Fan, an Earth system scientist at Beijing Normal University in China and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany. These tipping elements include the Amazon Rainforest biome, the East and West Antarctic ice sheets, the Arctic permafrost, and the Great Barrier Reef, among others. It is theorized that a tipping point reached in one region could trigger a tipping point in another, and so on,This article was originally published on Mongabay

Environmental advocates have long called for a ban on bottom trawling on seamounts in the South Pacifics international waters, and they hoped one would finally be instituted at a regional meeting in Manta, Ecuador, in February. But the trawling, which has declined in scale over the last decade, will be permitted to go on. Bottom trawling involves dragging heavy nets and trawl doors along the seabed that run roughshod over any organisms or structures in their path; scientists have compared it to clear-cutting a forest. Instead of a ban, the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), an intergovernmental body that regulates fishing in the area, changed bottom trawling rules in a way thats left observers debating whether it will provide more or less protection than the current policy. The new rules focus on vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), such as sponge fields and cold-water coral communities, which are often located around seamounts. They mandate the protection of a minimum of 70% of VME-indicator species, or groups of species, introducing such a threshold for the first time. The rules rely on habitat modeling to try to determine where VMEs are or could be, so trawling can be restricted there. The models are based largely on data about the bycatch that trawling nets have brought up in the past, as well as on some direct surveys by research vessels. The rules, which will go into effect next year, were proposed by Aotearoa New Zealand, the only country bottom trawling in the watersThis article was originally published on Mongabay

Photographer Kiliii Yuyan joins the podcast to talk about the value of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in protecting the worlds biodiversity. Teaming up with previous guest Gleb Raygorodetsky and with support from the National Geographic Society and the Amazon Climate Pledge, their media project and campaign seeks to highlight five different Indigenous communities stewardship of life across the world. Yuyan discusses his insights into the TEK of Indigenous communities hes visited while working on this project, and what stories he still plans on covering for the campaign. He also shares with us his own reflections as a person with Indigenous ancestry doing this work, and what he wishes more journalists would do when telling the stories of Indigenous peoples and the knowledge they offer. Listen here: Indigenous peoples manage and protect 80% of the worlds remaining biodiversity. However, they do not have rights to nearly half of the land they manage. Research shows that where Indigenous land rights are recognized in tropical areas, deforestation is reduced. With several mounting environmental crises, NGO leaders and experts are calling for the protection of Indigenous lands, and the recognition of their rights. Larry Lucas Kaleak listens to the sounds of passing whales and bearded seals through a skinboat paddle in the water. The sounds of bearded seals and bowhead whales are unique and distinctive, and can be easily heard in the vibrations of the wooden paddle. Image (c) Kiliii Yuyan. Some Indigenous leaders and researchers also espouse the benefits of combining TEK withThis article was originally published on Mongabay

After 24 years of eluding ornithologists, a small, ground-hopping songbird known only from the tropical forests of northeastern Madagascar has been spotted by researchers once again. The dusky tetraka (Xanthomixis tenebrosa) was last seen in 1999, and the research team, led by the Peregrine Funds Madagascar program, started its search from the location of this last sighting. After a 40-hour drive and half-day hike up a steep mountainside, they found that much of the forest had been converted to vanilla farms, despite its protected status. They spent five more days searching at higher elevations before heading downhill. Eight days into the expedition, on Jan. 1, John C. Mittermeier, director of the Lost Birds program at the American Bird Conservancy, saw an olive and yellow-throated bird in dense undergrowth near the river. He took a photo and showed the team, who agreed it looked like a dusky tetraka. The next day, the team caught a bird to take measurements and a closer look before releasing it safely back into the wild. Seeing the bird for the first time was truly a surprise, said Armand Benjara, the Peregrine Funds Madagascar program leader. Our entire team was extremely happy and excited. https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/03/07111429/Dusky-Tetraka-2-edit.mp4 A dusky tetrakas call. Image and audio by John C. Mittermeier. The expedition team with The Peregrine Funds Madagascar Program that rediscovered the dusky tetraka in two different locations. Photo by John C. Mittermeier. The team found birds in two locations: on the Masoala Peninsula and near Andapa. The birds wereThis article was originally published on Mongabay

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began spreading in a seafood and poultry market in Wuhan, China, shone a spotlight on zoonotic diseases and the risks that markets selling wild meat can pose to human health. Following the outbreak, some countries like China temporarily closed down wet markets, while others like Vietnam banned the wildlife trade outright. A WWF survey found that the overall consumption of wildlife dropped by 30% in Southeast Asia and the U.S. On the surface, the pandemic may seem to have deterred people from consumption and trade of wildlife due to restrictions and awareness about zoonoses. However, a new study published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice reveals a more complex picture. The study, part of a bigger livelihood survey of hunting communities in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, interviewed hunters living near protected areas to understand how COVID-19 has impacted their livelihoods. The survey found that the wildlife trade declined during the pandemic, but hunting and forest visits in protected areas increased to make up for lost jobs and to supplement income. The study aims to get a more holistic picture of hunting and trying to put conservation into practice, so we could intervene positively to reduce hunting and also ensure these communities are stable, says lead author Elizabeth Davis, a researcher at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. A muntjac. Many communities hunt incidentally, killing wild animals like deer, mongoose, squirrels, rabbits, bush pigs or muntjacs when they encounter them in the forest, or setting trapsThis article was originally published on Mongabay

JAKARTA Two major palm oil companies recently exited a committee that helps identify forest areas for protection, bringing the total number of firms quitting the framework since 2000 to four. The committee, called the High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA), is a widely supported mechanism to distinguish forest areas that should be protected from degraded areas that can be developed. This, environmentalists say, points to a startling industry trend in which industry giants are shirking responsibility for their harmful business practices. The two companies that recently withdrew from HCSA are Singapore-based Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), the main palm oil arm of the vast Sinar Mas conglomerate, which is owned by the billionaire Widjaja family; and IOI Corporation Berhad (IOI), one of Malaysias biggest conglomerates. GAR played a major role in developing the HCSA No Deforestation methodology and was a founding HSCA member. GAR chief sustainability and communications officer Anita Neville said that being a member of the HCSA is no longer necessary for the company. This is because the HCSA toolkit has been embedded into industry standards including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, which is the worlds largest association for ethical palm oil production, she said. The HCSA toolkit is a guidebook that provides standardized, scientifically robust and cost-effective methods for distinguishing and protecting viable forest areas. The decision not to renew our membership was not taken lightly, Neville told Mongabay. However, as the HCSA evolved beyond creation and rollout of its toolkit, we saw increasing overlap with other industry bodies includingThis article was originally published on Mongabay