Supporting Sustainable Oil Palm Cultivation
Growing Demand Necessitates Environmental and Social Considerations
Mar 18, 2009
Palm oil is a vegetable oil that has both culinary and non-culinary applications. At present, a portion of the world’s palm oil production is undoubtedly unsustainable in that it is directly or indirectly the cause of global climate change, decreasing biodiversity and social strife. The issues surrounding the increasing demand for palm oil as both a food product and as an alternative source of energy, however, are complex and demand a dialog that takes all facets of the issue into account rather than a categorical “for” or “against” position.
Oil Palm Trees
Oil palms belong to the genus Elaeis, and the most well-known oil palm species is that which is indigenous to West Africa. In the 20th century, the oil palm was introduced to other parts of the world including Southeast Asia where upwards of half of the worldwide supply of palm oil is currently produced. Unsustainable cultivation of oil palms in places such as Indonesia and Malaysia has led to widespread deforestation and destruction of indigenous ecosystems resulting in increased carbon emissions and decreased biodiversity, but it hasn’t always been this way.
History and Popularity of Palm Oil
While palm oil has long been an important staple in West African diets, it is relatively new to many North Americans. Palm oil did not receive international attention until the British industrial revolution, when it was imported for use as a machinery lubricant and for soap and soap-based products. Today, palm oil is the most commonly used edible vegetable oil in the world.
Palm oil’s popularity is based in part on the fact that it has the highest yield of any edible oil crop. As a result, it is relatively inexpensive. Because it is healthier than many other oils, it will increasingly be in higher demand in developed nations like the United States where the trend is toward healthier foods. Today, palm oil production as a source of alternative energy is, in large part, responsible for the rapid growth of the palm oil industry.
The Pros and Cons of the Palm Oil Industry
The increased demand for palm oil has had many positive impacts on palm oil producing regions. The production of palm oil, for example, provides critical income in many impoverished nations, and it has been credited with enhancing political stability and empowering local farmers and workers on a path to economic independence.
While many positive outcomes as a result of a robust palm oil industry exist, the negative impacts must be taken into account as well — especially in the case of palm oil produced primarily as biofuel. The incentive for seeking alternative energy to fossil fuels is, after all, the reduction of greenhouse gasses. If the production of palm oil ends up contributing significantly to greenhouse gasses (not to mention deforestation and decreasing biodiversity), then the overall value of palm oil production for biofuel has to be questioned.
Supporting Sustainable Palm Oil
In the oil palm’s indigenous range, much of the palm oil production is being carried out in a sustainable manner. The socially and environmentally aware consumer will want to make sure his or her buying power goes to supporting sustainable palm oil production, and a growing number of tools are at the consumer’s disposal for making that determination.
Perhaps the most important development on this front has been the creation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, but supporting sustainable palm oil production can be as simple as looking on the label of the palm oil one purchases or researching and supporting the companies that are committed to a sustainable palm oil industry.
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