The trees extracted in record time were leaving huge empty spaces in Borneo, which were almost simultaneously occupied with oil palm plantations, known for its negative environmental impact, such as soil degradation, habitat loss and extinction. of species.

The oil palm is a plant that in a single hectare can produce about 6,000 liters of crude oil, several times higher than that obtained with soybean oil or corn oil, which makes it very profitable. Therefore it is preferred by large corporations for food, cosmetics and other products, although some of them in recent years, due to public pressure, have canceled their relations with the large suppliers of the questioned raw material.

With the entry of the new plantations, fires in the jungle increased. Burning is the most economical method to clear land for planting. These fires are tried to be used in a controlled manner, but during droughts they often get out of control, spreading rapidly and forcefully, burning large areas of forest. Greenpeace International accounted for 112,000 fires in just three months in 2015. About 40% of these fires occurred in concessions made by the Indonesian government to companies for the cutting down of trees or the development of palm plantations.