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As consumers, do we realise the extent of the impacts of palm oil production - socially, economically and environmentally? Palm oil makes up 65% of the world's international trade of oil, and demand is set to increase alongside growth of population and economic development in the Global South. The link below is an interactive article made by the guardian, mapping the journey of palm oil from rainforest plantation to your cupboards at home.
Story of palm oil
(Guardian, 2014)
(Guardian, 2014)
The number of palm oil plantations in South East
Asia has growth exponentially over the past decade. Indonesia and Malaysia are
two countries which have pioneered palm oil production and have reaped the
economic benefits, but have also had to bear with the environmental
consequences, such as toxic air pollution. To make way for palm oil
plantations, mass deforestation and consequential habitat and biodiversity loss
has tripled alongside the demand for palm oil. In addition, these plantations
are often established on peatlands, which has also led to an increase in stored
greenhouse gases, contributing to carbon dioxide and methane emissions.
The growth of palm oil is being driven by
expansion of demand and increasing populations. As their economies develop,
China, India and Indonesia are consuming more and more palm oil – 42%
of the 59million metric tonnes produced was used in one of these three countries.
As population increase, is there a way to make our palm oil consumption sustainable to protect rainforests, the species that live there, and avoid air pollution?
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