China paid Indonesia to clear-cut 4 million acres for palm oil

Evidence

China has signed a multibillion-dollar deal with the Indonesian government to clear-cut over 4 million acres of its forest for lumber and to replace it with plantations for palm oil, which is used in cooking, detergents, soaps, and lipstick (Perlez, 2006). A clan elder explained that his people love their trees, but the logging will bring jobs and modernize their lives. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2535

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Direct evidence for the Grafting & Growth piece — palm oil plantations as a driver of tree loss, and the tragedy of a clan elder trading beloved trees for modernization.
• SHARE: The palm-oil-in-lipstick detail is a nerdy little hook for anyone who writes about consumer goods supply chains.