Newsletter - May 2026

What's New?

Deforestation persisted in 2025

We have added Tree Cover Loss 2025 and the data suggests that deforestation persisted inside plots, mill proximity, and major palm producing jurisdictions. 

In 50km proximity to mills, there was a slight decrease in deforestation from 4,583 ha to 4,404 ha average, or about 4%. 2025, however, was still the third highest year for deforestation since 2018. 

 Inside plots, we detected an increase from 20.5 ha to 21.5 ha (5%) on average inside plots, indicating plantation companies are still clearing forest for planting. This is also the second highest average since the EUDR cut off date of December 2020, which means many plots will face compliance risk. 

The jurisdictional picture is mixed. For example, in the top five palm producing regions of Indonesia, 2025 deforestation rates were lower than the past two year but still higher than 2021-2023. Given that all five provinces currently supply the EU market, this means EUDR compliance risk will be high.

Palmoil.io at Palmex 2026

Earlier this month, our colleagues, Sofi and Aqsha, attended Palmex in Jakarta. The conference brought together a cross section of the palm industry, particularly those involved in milling and refining infrastructure.

CPOPC - an organization representing palm-growing countries - discussed how the palm oil industry's pivot towards B50 biofuel production, which has accelerated due to war in the Middle East. To reach government-set targets, major new investments in machinery and factory installation are required, leading to many companies building new mill or new biodiesel refinery.

New supply chains and processing infrastructure, however, will further complicate traceability and sustainability efforts. Participants agreed that smallholder mapping and plantation traceability was a growing priority, particularly in light of the EUDR. However, with more production going to domestic and regional B50 markets with laxer sustainability requirements, meeting the regulation's stringent requirements will be difficult.

Jurisdictional monitoring in Practice

Our April webinar, “From Detection to Action: Deforestation Detection and Response in Aceh, Indonesia,” (Recording here) showcased MapHubs’ collaborative efforts with IDH, the Aceh Project Management Unit, Forum Konservasi Leuser (FKL), and various government and private-sector partners to monitor and address deforestation across Aceh’s palm oil landscapes. 

Our Manager, Cholida Sofi, was joined by Riswan, IDH Sustainable Landscape Manager, and FKL Monitoring System Supervisor, Firdaus Saputra, to explore how Palmoil.io integrates satellite alerts, monthly imagery reviews, and supply-chain data to prioritize high-risk cases in critical conservation areas like Rawa Singkil and the Leuser ecosystem. 

A recurring theme was that technology must be paired with robust protocols, inter-agency coordination, and sustained field capacity to be effective. The panel also highlighted how this system supports EUDR readiness, arguing that monitoring paired with smallholder engagement can keep high-risk landscapes credible in global markets. 

Significant challenges remain. This includes the overwhelming volume of alerts, gaps in funding for field monitoring, and the ongoing complexity of tracing illegal clearing to downstream palm oil supply chains.

What's coming up?

EUDR Country Risk Assessments

For our EUDR Risk customers, you will be receiving our first EUDR Country Reports. The reports are based Palmoil.io deforestation and grievance data, complemented by reputable public sources and meet Article 10(2)(a) requirements for countries of production. The reports cover all the required sections including presence of forest, indigenous peoples, deforestation prevalence, governance concerns, supply chain complexity, and risk of mixing.

If you are interested in becoming an EUDR subscriber, please get in touch for a free trial and one example country report. Learn more: https://www.palmoil.io/eudr

Palmoil.io AI beta launch

Next month, we are opening a new AI service in beta, designed to help enterprise customers explore how AI can support supply chain risk workflows. The beta is intentionally early: we want customers to try it, test where it fits into their teams’ existing processes, and help shape what comes next.

Our focus is not simply to add a chat interface, but on exploring how AI can make complex supply chain data easier to work with, support repeatable assessments, and eventually help teams evaluate different scenarios and decisions.

For now, we’re inviting a small group of customers to experiment with the service, share feedback, and help us define the most useful enterprise applications. If you are interested in a trial, please write to info@maphubs.com.

Tip of the Month

News Stories added to plots and mills

When you open a plot or mill profile page, you will now find all connected news stories listed from a tab at the top. The list features a short summary of the story, the plot/mill name with a link, and are ordered by date.

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