Palm Oil Case Study

F 483290
Dr. Aleta Quinn
PHIL 452
28 August 2017
Palm Oil Case Study
There are many large and small environmental issues in the world today, but one very
large and not often discussed case is that of palm oil. Though not used often as a food source in
the United States, palm oil is produced more than any other vegetable oil in the world. This is
due to its versatility, with its uses ranging from lipstick to ice cream to biofuel (World Wildlife
Fund). According to World Wildlife Fund more than half of packaged products in the United
States contain it, and in 2008 palm oil farms and plantations made up more than ten percent of
the worlds permanent agricultural land (Koh and Wilcove). Unfortunately the majority of palm
oil production is carried out in Southeast Asia, which is also home to eleven percent of the
world’s tropical rainforests. These rainforests are coming under increasing threat to destruction
due to palm oil production, and loss of a biodiversity as a result is widespread and devastating to
the local ecosystems.
Due to the developing nature of the countries in which these rainforests exist and the
importance they place on economic growth, these forests are at extreme risk of destruction for
palm oil production. It is estimated that in Indonesia and Malaysia between 1990 and 2005, 55 to
60 percent of new palm oil production came at the expense of forest land, amounting to nearly
three million hectares of land area (Koh and Wilcove). Together these two countries make up the
majority of palm oil production, and with production continuing to increase at an estimated rate
of .4-.7 million hectares per year, biodiversity in the region is facing a serious threat (Margono et
al.).
F 483290
Dr. Aleta Quinn
PHIL 452
28 August 2017
This region is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet. In primary forests in
Malaysia, nearly 80 different species of mammals are found. When these forests are converted
for palm oil production, that number decreases to just eleven (WWF). Among these mammals
are some critically endangered species, including Asian Elephants, Sumatran Rhinoceros,
Orangutans, and Tigers (World Wildlife Fund). From 1994-2008, Orangutan populations
decreased by almost half, likely as a direct result of destruction of their habitat due to palm oil
production (Chaudhari). Forest destruction also heavily affects birds, who completely rely on
trees for their habitat. When primary forests are converted to palm oil plantations, bird species
diversity decreases by 77% (Koh and Wilcove).
The biodiversity of the region is an acute threat, but there are other larger ones including
air pollution and climate change. The burning of peat forests can cause fires that burn for months
and significantly reduce air quality in the surrounding area. They also produce a large percentage
of the worlds carbon dioxide output, with the relatively small country of Indonesia being the
third largest contributing country to greenhouse gas emissions (World Wildlife Fund).
Because demand for palm oil is so high, its production will only continue to increase, and
though that is not inherently bad, more often than not palm oil production is linked directly to the
loss of primary forest (Koh and Wilcove). Much of the forests in danger are actually protected
areas, but illegal logging and use often occurs there anyway (Chaudhari). This even extends to
national parks such as Tesso Nilo National park in Sumatra. It was created as a refuge for the
endangered Sumatran Tiger, but more than 43 percent of it has now been lost to illegal palm oil
F 483290
Dr. Aleta Quinn
PHIL 452
28 August 2017
production (World Wildlife Fund). Palm oil plantations also take advantage of political
loopholes, taking land from local communities who used it but didn’t technically have the land
title for it (Chaudhari). The palm oil industry is the major culprit here, often exploiting the loose
political structure of the region for their own gain. Also to blame, though, are those who continue
to consume products which use palm oil.
Some possible solutions would be to increase involvement by local governments and
NGO’s in the survey and analysis of at-risk land so as to better understand the impacts and
causes, and to increase protections of primary and secondary forest in the region (Koh and
Wilcove). The major players in the palm oil industry are extremely powerful, however, so this
will not be an easy task and the destruction of the forest is likely to continue. Another possible
solution is to educate the public more, as public opposition to companies who use palm oil from
endangered regions in their products has in the past resulted in the discontinuation of use by
those companies (Chaudhari). This will decrease demand and hopefully lead to more responsible
land use in the area.
There are many other factors involved in this issue, and it is certainly one that will
continue to be discussed as the global community looks for solutions to this problem. Regardless
of the solution, it is important that one be found as soon as possible because palm oil is not going
away, and the loss of biodiversity and other negative impacts of palm oil production are things
that we should not accept as inevitable.

F 483290
Dr. Aleta Quinn
PHIL 452
28 August 2017
Works Cited
Chaudhari, Amrit. “Greenpeace, Nestle, and the Palm Oil Controversy: Social Media Driving
Change?” IBS Center for Management (ICMR), 2011.
http://www.bu.edu/goglobal/a/presentations/greenpeace_nestle_socialmedia.pdf.
Accessed 28 Aug. 2017.
Koh, Lian Pin, and Wilcove, David S. “Is Oil Palm Agriculture Really Destroying Tropical
Biodiversity?” Conservation Letters, vol. 1, no. 2, 2008, pp. 60-64.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-263X.2008.00011.x/full. Accessed 28
Aug. 2017.
Margono, Belinda Arunarwati et al. “Primary Forest Cover Loss in Indonesia over 2000-2012”.
Nature Climate Change, vol 4. pp 730-735, 29 June 2014.
http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v4/n8/full/nclimate2277.htm. Accessed 28 Aug.
2017.
World Wildlife Fund. World Wildlife Fund, 2017. www.worldwildlife.org/industries/palm-oil.
Accessed 28 Aug. 2017.

Palm Oil Case Study

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Palm Oil Case Study

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Palm Oil Case Study

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

F 483290

Dr. Aleta Quinn