Overview 

Aceh Timur is home to parts of the world renowned Gunung Leuser National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The district boasts significant natural lowland and tropical peatland forests. It is also a critical habitat for highly charismatic species, such as Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran elephants, and rhinos. It is part of Aceh Province, which has around 3 million hectares of forest, equating to 55% forest cover.   

Aceh Timur makes a significant contribution to Indonesia's agricultural production, primarily through palm oil and rice cultivation.  Palm oil is a critical commodity for regional revenue and livelihood, and rice supports food security. Natural rubber and cocoa are also important products.  Whilst palm oil expansion poses a significant deforestation risk to Aceh Timur, huge achievements have been made to tackle this threat. 

Climate change and deforestation 

Forests in the landscape play a crucial role in carbon storage and climate regulation. Aceh Timur has 546,000 hectares of natural forest cover. The wider Aceh province is estimated to have lost just under 9,000 hectares of forest in 2023 whilst Aceh Timur lost 611 hectares during the same year.  Deforestation in the district increased significantly in 2024, with a total of 1.1kha hectares of forest loss, releasing significant amounts of CO2.

Much of the deforestation is potentially linked to palm oil expansion by both concession and smallholders. The Green Growth Plan is developing a policy framework to protect High Conservation Value areas.  The goal is to reduce deforestation rates in Aceh Timur by 30%. A deforestation monitoring and verification team has been established in the landscape. 

Sustainable land management 

The largest type of plantation area is oil palm, spanning 68,127 hectares and covering 13% of land area. NISCOPS is addressing the potential threat of deforestation escalation, driven by land clearing activities in twelve existing oil palm concessions near the Leuser Ecosystem. Many of these are not certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) scheme, and many lack strong No Deforestation, No Development on Peat, No Exploitation (NDPE) commitments. 

NISCOPS is increasing the productivity of oil palm plants and implementing NDPE principles in the supply chain. A buffer zone management model is being developed to increase forest protection and regeneration, promote sustainable palm oil sourcing, and improve livelihoods. Engagement with oil palm estates and palm oil mills at high deforestation risk is ongoing. The Aceh Sustainable Palm Oil Roadmap is working with the corporate sector to achieve a deforestation-free supply chain.   

Improving livelihoods 

NISCOPS aims to integrate smallholders into a deforestation-free sustainable palm oil supply chain, whilst bridging the gap towards a living income. Smallholder farmers benefit from training in Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and access to finance, certification and markets, particularly in remote areas. Public-private partnerships,support local farmers to achieve Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification. By 2024,1000 smallholders had received certification training. Palm oil productivity is also boosted through intensification of fresh fruit cluster production.