He delivered the message during the National Palm Oil Seminar hosted by UPN Veteran Yogyakarta, attended by online on Thursday (Jan 22, 2026).

Yanto noted that deforestation is often used as a broad term in public debate, despite having clear definitions at both international and national levels.

“FAO and the World Bank since 1990 have defined deforestation as the loss of forest cover, either permanently or temporarily,” he said.

He explained that forest cover refers not simply to trees, but to vegetation with specific composition and density that supports forest functions, including microclimate regulation, hydrology, and wildlife habitat within an ecosystem.

Under Indonesia’s regulations, he said, Ministerial Regulation No. 30/2009 defines deforestation as the permanent change of forested areas into non-forest areas caused by human activities.

Defining Forests Beyond “Green Land”

Yanto also emphasized the importance of understanding what qualifies as “forest.” Referring to FAO (2010), forests are land areas larger than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover above 10%, or with trees that have the potential to reach these thresholds in situ.

However, FAO excludes land mainly used for agriculture or settlements. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Forestry Law No. 41/1999 defines forests as an integrated ecosystem dominated by trees and inseparable from its natural environment.

A Long History of Land Conversion

Yanto said forest conversion and land utilization in Indonesia must be understood within a longer historical timeline. He cited evidence that plantation development in East Sumatra (now North Sumatra) began in 1863, pioneered by Nienhuys—not for oil palm, but for tobacco, which was then a key commodity in European markets.

He also outlined major drivers of forest conversion, including transmigration policies, forest concessions (HPH) and systematic logging since the 1970s, government programs promoting land clearing for oil palm and industrial plantations, and recurring forest fires.

Palm Oil, Biodiversity, and Water Use

Yanto responded to common public questions about palm oil’s impact on biodiversity, saying comparative studies indicate that oil palm plantations can serve as habitats for various wildlife taxa such as mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

He said converting secondary forests into oil palm plantations generally reduces mammal diversity, but some taxa show increases, while converting non-forest land into oil palm tends to increase diversity across most taxa.

Addressing concerns that oil palm dries up wells and lakes, he cited a field study by Safitri et al. (2018) in Central Kalimantan showing average oil palm root water uptake of 3.07–3.7 mm per day. He said oil palm water absorption cannot exceed the soil depth within the root zone, and claims of extreme water depletion should be examined scientifically and contextually.

Flood Risk and the Role of “Dead Rows”

Yanto also addressed flood concerns, noting that plantation field layouts include categories such as live rows, dead rows, and palm circles. Referring to Selamet (2015), he said infiltration rates in dead rows can be very high, helping reduce flooding risk inside plantations.

He closed by urging a more balanced public debate that moves beyond black-and-white narratives.

“If we want fairness, we must start with correct definitions, strong evidence, and measurable indicators,” he said.