Updated

Indonesian authorities have paused, and possibly concluded, what has been described as the world's largest deforestation project, protecting approximately 4 million acres of rainforest, swamps and peatlands across Indonesian islands, according to reporting on October 22, 2026. The government had achieved rice self-sufficiency about three years ahead of schedule, making the further clearing unnecessary. The decision will spare vast ecological areas from conversion to agricultural use, though the long-term status of the protected lands remains to be determined. The halt represents a significant shift in Indonesia's land-use priorities and may preserve critical ecosystems.