Papua New Guinea’s Rainforests to Be Cleared for Oil Palm Agrofuels

The oil palm biofuel industry — the scourge of Asia and the world’s rainforests — is continuing to expand into Papua New Guinea (PNG). Malaysian company Vitroplant has been granted necessary permits by the PNG government to begin clearing 70% of the rainforests on biodiversity rich Woodlark Island, some 60,000 hectares, in order to establish a massive plantation of oil palm trees.

Expansion of oil palm plantations at the expense of primary rainforests runs contrary to PNG’s government public support for preserving rainforests for climate and other benefits. Prime Minister Somare’s government has been highly vocal, including at the recent Bali climate talks, regarding the desirability of “avoided deforestation” payments. Yet large scale industrial logging and now oil palm expansion continues to severely diminish PNG’s rainforest and carbon storage capital.


Woodlark Island is a small island, some 80,000 hectares, in the Pacific with a population of 6,000 residents. Vitroplant plans to convert 60,000 acres to palm oil plantations for biofuels. A solid majority of villagers reportedly oppose the project, and were not even aware of it until after its approval.

An oil palm plantation on Woodlark Island will endanger the island