Excavators have begun clearing land in the Indonesian region of Papua in what’s been described as the largest deforestation undertaking in the world. A total of 2 million hectares (5 million acres) of forests, wetlands and grasslands in Merauke district will be razed to make way for a cluster of giant sugarcane plantations, part of the Indonesian government’s efforts to boost domestic sugar production… Satellite monitoring by technology consultancy TheTreeMap has detected large land clearings inside GPA’s concession since June 2024… This is contrary to the government’s claims that it will mitigate the environmental impact of the sugarcane project by avoiding forested areas as much as possible. Senior officials have also claimed there’s not much natural forest left in Merauke in the first place.