Is oil palm agriculture really destroying tropical biodiversity?

Abstract Oil palm is one of the world's most rapidly expanding equatorial crops. The two largest oil palm‐producing countries—Indonesia and Malaysia—are located in Southeast Asia, a region with numerous endemic, forest‐dwelling species. Oil palm producers have asserted that forests are not being cleared to grow oil palm. Our analysis of land‐cover data compiled by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization suggests that during the period 1990–2005, 55%–59% of oil palm expansion in Malaysia, and at least 56% of that in Indonesia occurred at the expense of forests. Using data on bird and butterfly diversity in Malaysia's forests and croplands, we argue that conversion of either primary or secondary…