A Lithuanian artist has carved a giant SOS message into an Indonesian palm oil plantation to draw attention to the damage done by deforestation and highlight the impact on people and wildlife.

Ernest Zacharevic curated the Save our Souls project as part of a campaign on the impact palm oil plantations have on tribal communities and endangered species such as the orangutan.

"We, as consumers, are so detached from the source of our commodities that we are no longer able to see the consequences of our daily choices," Zacharevic said.

"I wanted to communicate the magnitude of the problem."

The giant SOS carving, which he completed last month, runs for about half a kilometre inside a plantation in North Sumatra, and can be seen from the air. The land will be replanted with native tree species, he said.

Save our Soul is an art land initiative that has been carved into a palm oil plantation in North Sumatra. ( YouTube: Splash and Burn )

Environmentalists say land-clearing for agricultural plantations in Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producer, is responsible for forest destruction — forest cover has dropped by nearly a quarter since 1990, according to World Bank data.

Zacharevic's SOS comes amid growing pressure on corporations to adopt sustainable practices.

PepsiCo and British cosmetics firm Lush have committed to ending the use of palm oil, which is found in products from soap to cereal — or at least ensure their supply is ethical.

Last month, consumer goods giant Unilever said it had laid bare its palm oil supply chain to boost transparency.

Plantations threaten indigenous peoples, wildlife

Forest cover in Indonesia has dropped by nearly a quarter since 1990. ( Reuters: Nova Wahyudi, file photo )

Indonesia has been a focus of global efforts to rein in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the deforestation of swampy, carbon-rich peatlands to make way for plantations for industries such as palm oil, pulp, and paper.

These forests are often in remote areas long inhabited by indigenous peoples, who might not have documents proving ownership or be able to contest land acquisitions in the resource-rich South-East Asian nation.

The forests are also home to dwindling wildlife populations as there are only about 14,600 orangutans remaining in the wild in Sumatra, conservationists estimate

The Splash and Burn campaign — a play on the slash and burn method used to clear forests for plantations — is supported by charity the Sumatran Orangutan Society, and Lush.

"We are all contributing to the destructive effects of unsustainable palm oil, whether it is by consuming products or supporting policies that affect the trade," Zacharevic said.

"This project is an effort to appeal to the consciousness of a wider audience."

Reuters