Indonesia's forests just won against the rice fields

Indonesia will scrap plans to clear around three million hectares of forest for rice after domestic production outgrew demand — about 34.71 million tonnes grown against roughly 31.19 million needed, with a record 5.3-million-tonne strategic reserve. Climate envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo said there is 'no further need for expanding rice cultivation areas in the so-called forest areas,' pivoting instead to better seeds and yields on existing farmland. The shift also protects the country's path to becoming a net carbon sink by 2030.