While in the midst of exam study, a small point my lecturer made about
building a sustainable future captured my attention. I could not help but to
ponder about how I live my life and how much effort I actually put into making
it sustainable.
There has already been a myriad of articles, videos and so on
explicitly warning us against the inexorable, dreaded outcome of global
warming. Not to mention premonitions of the extinction of our favorite and
not so favorite wildlife species. The drastic rate of alterations to our
planet, the acts by the concerned to find new energy alternatives, and the dire
need for wildlife conservation efforts clogged my mind. Yet what really struck
me the most was the point about the massive impact our small choices can have.
Choices like the use of palm oil. Bear with me as first I explain the
impacts of palm oil to the readers who are unaware.
A huge industry has been built around the harvesting of palm oil, with
global supplies ranging from body and food products to fuels for transport and
power stations. It has definitely established itself as one of the world's most
rapidly growing sectors in the agricultural industry, rising at a rate of about
9% each year due to the growing demand for it (European
Commission 2006). This no doubt brings about major economic benefits, but unfortunately,
also results in huge negative impacts to ecosystems and the environment. It
affects the balance of greenhouse gases, impacts biodiversity by forest removal
and fragmentation and destroys natural ecosystems and habitats.
Impacts of
deforestation
Palm oil cultivation involves deforestation activities, which impact the
stability of the ecosystem (Wakker 1998). These activities destroy habitats for
animals such as Asian elephants, tigers and Sumatran rhinoceros, posing as
major threats to their extinction. The potential negative impacts of
uncontrolled palm oil expansion on biodiversity, ecosystems and the world’s
climate are well recognized by several sources (Koh & Wilcove 2009;
Fargione et al. 2008; Koh &
Ghazoul 2008).
Peatland
destruction
Palm oil production also destroys peatlands. Peatlands are lands that contain
partially decayed plant matter. This type of land plays a major role in balancing
the carbon cycle and acting as a carbon sink. It is also responsible for water
retention, which can prevent the occurrence of floods and droughts. South East
Asia is claimed to house 6% (27.1 million Hectares) of global peatlands
(Hooijer et al. 2006), and Indonesia
holds 22.5 million Hectares (Silvius 2006). Unfortunately, the growing
production of palm oil has resulted in the destruction of a significant portion
of these lands; Indonesia specifically has almost a quarter of their palm oil
plantations converted from peatlands.
The Haze issue
Another consequence of Peatland destruction is the huge emissions of
carbon dioxide as a green house gas. This happens when decomposing organic
matter is exposed to air. Peatland fires also emit significant amounts of
carbon dioxide, which contribute to the haze issue in South East Asia. The haze
has been known to cause respiratory illnesses among Indonesian children
(Silvius 2006).
Also, Glastra and co authors (Glastra et al. 2002) have suggested that deforestation, which involves land
burning, was conducted extensively enough to cause many prolonged fires. For
instance, it was suggested that the haze, which occurred in 1997 in South East
Asia, was a consequence of this. (Not to mention the past and very recent haze
events)
Orang Utans
Palm oil production is one of the several factors that contribute to the
worrying decline of Orang Utans apart from forest logging and fires, trade and
illegal hunting (Nellemann et al. 2007).
These animals are dependent on forests for shelter and food. Upon degradation
of their habitats, they will be forced to another location that may be rendered
unsuitable. As a result, their mortality would increase, and their birth rate
would decrease. Orang Utans that wander into their old habitat, which have been
converted into plantations are likely to be killed in order to prevent further
damage to crops. In search of food, these animals may also target immature palm
trees, which would cause significant damage to crops. These events lead to
human-orangutan conflict (Tan et al. 2007).
Impact on Rural
communities
The
palm oil industry is, however, important to support the livelihood of local
farmers and is a huge source of income the support the country’s economy. For
example, the government in Indonesia uses palm oil production as a key
supporter of the socio-economic development in rural areas (Potter & Lee
1998; Zen et al. 2005). But the expansion
of palm oil that is not controlled responsibly can also cause severe
consequences for certain local communities. These negative implications can
come in the form of air or water pollution (McCarthy & Zen 2010), and the
influx of rat populations, all causing damage to other plantations. There is
also a negative cultural impact associated with the conversion from an
independent farming livelihood to one dependent on the market (Rist et al. 2010).
Taking into account the environmental and livelihood consequences of
palm oil expansion, it remains almost impossible to prevent subsequent
expansion in the future. If produced sustainably in a social context, palm oil
can hold great potential as a vehicle for development in rural areas (Rist et al. 2010). And so, the problem is not about whether
to abolish the use of palm oil, but to reduce the negative impacts of palm oil
without compromising the livelihood of rural communities. The solution to this
is to promote ecologically and socially sustainable palm oil production.
Therefore, I’m not just writing this article to reiterate the impacts of
palm oil, but also to shed light on a fairly recent movement that I have
discovered – The
roundtable on sustainable palm oil (RSPO). This particular organization aims to
encourage the expansion of sustainable palm oil use by collaboration with the
suppliers as well as the stakeholders.
The
RSPO criteria involve eight main components. This is a summary of the eight
principles.
Image from RSPO 2012
Our role to play
I am
sure you are now wondering what this has got to do with you - the consumers.
This organization certifies the supply chains that adhere to their regulations
on sustainable palm oil production. These suppliers display a distinct logo on
their products to differentiate them from the other non-sustainable products. Therefore,
consumers do have huge part to play in this movement. Remember that we have the
power to influence the market because we have the power to control the demand.
So, increase the demand for sustainable palm oil by purchasing products with
the RSPO logo.
Here
are some brands with the RSPO license
Apart
from the logos listed above, here is a list of some brands that have integrated
sustainable palm oil in their products
· The Body Shop
· Marks & Spencers
· Waitrose
· L’Occitane
· Carrefour
· Walmart
· Procter & Gamble
· Ferrero
· Colgate- Palmolive
· HJ Heinz
· Johnson & Johnson
· L’Oreal
· SC Johnson
· Sun products
· Cadbury
· Ben & Jerrys
· ConAgra
· Henkel
· Kellogg’s
· Nestle
· Seventh Generation
· Unilever
Look
out for The RSPO logo
Since
the global demand for palm oil has escalated and would continue to upsurge, it
would be very probable for production expansion to do the same. Hence, there is
a need for more research to be conducted to explore new alternatives that
enable palm oil to be grown more sustainably. New schemes would also be
required to steer producers towards a more sustainable method of production. And
while governments, NGOs and scientists are unearthing possible alternatives and
constructing feasible policies, implementing them would be challenging. The
support of consumers is a key factor that would not only help to improve the
livelihood of rural communities, but is essential for wildlife conservation and
ultimately to protect the fragility of our planet.
About the author:
Elisabelle
Aruldoss, aged 19, is a Singaporean in her final year of her Bachelor of Animal
Science Degree at the University of Adelaide (Australia)
References:
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