The Threat of Industrial Oil Palm Expansion to Primates and Their Habitats

Abstract

Large-scale, industrial oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) plantations are rapidly expanding in tropical forest regions to supply a growing global demand for palm oil, the world’s most popular vegetable oil. Such agro-industrial enterprises are a growing threat to primates and their habitats. We review the history of palm oil production, starting with its origins in Africa followed by its expansion to other tropical regions including Malaysia and Indonesia, where over 85 % of the world’s palm oil is now produced. We examine the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of industrial oil palm developments and address global attempts to produce palm oil sustainably. Our analysis indicates that large-scale, industrial oil palm plantations directly destroy tropical forest biodiversity and negatively affect adjacent intact forests. Contrary to arguments made by many advocates of industrially produced palm oil, we find that such production schemes may not be in the economic interests of local communities and may lead to social conflict. We find that in many cases industrial oil palm developments suffer from lack of transparency and fail to obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of local people who are at a great disadvantage when negotiating with agribusinesses. We present evidence indicating that efforts to produce palm oil sustainably through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil suffer from lack of oversight, enforcement, and accountability and, ultimately, allow for deforestation. We recommend ways to reduce the ecological and social impacts of industrially produced palm oil and suggest that the conservation, development, and human rights communities work with national governments to develop alternative palm oil production schemes that reduce environmental impacts and socioeconomic risks.