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on the forests, wildlife, and indigenous people of this area, WWF warns. It is not necessary to use this area as there is already a total of 2.3 million hectares of idle or derelict land available for palm oil plantations in Kalimantan, an area greater than the proposed plantation, WWF points out. In addition, oil palm is not recommended for planting in areas more than 200 metres above sea level, because of low productivity at these levels. The plantations are also recommended to be restricted to areas with an incline of less than 30 per cent. But most of the heart of Borneo border area is between 1,000 and 2,000 metres high, with infertile, shallow soils and steep slopes. Such rugged terrain means that the risk of erosion is high. WWF explains that “although it makes little economic sense to plant palm oil in the uplands, the plantation companies would have access to timber, which they would fell and sell as part of the plantation preparation process. This could be extremely lucrative and there is evidence that some companies have applied for palm oil plantation licences in the past with this in mind.” Malaysia’s oil palm plantations cover 40 per cent of its cultivated land and it is the world’s largest producer and exporter of palm oil and Indonesia has also embarked on a major plantation programme. Despite the Indonesian government’s assurance that the project would not harm the environment, WWF insists that development of palm oil plantations should follow strict sustainable and environmental principles which exclude the destruction of forests of high social and biological importance. Quick guide