A European research team has found that an extension of the palm oil industry in Africa could have dramatic outcomes for wildlife, especially African primates.
The study, published in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has been funded by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.
Areas Of Compromise
It first defines what could be 'areas of compromise', defined by the scientists as 'areas with high productivity and low biodiversity importance, [which] could be a unique opportunity to reconcile conservation and economic growth', as the palm oil industry brings in a significant revenue for local producers involved in the trade.
Unfortunately it seems that such 'areas of compromise' are few and far between, even on the scale of the African continent, representing 0.13 million hectares (Mha), or less than 0.005 % of the total land mass of the African continent.
Should a large-scale expansion of the oil palm cultivation industry happen in Africa, the researchers warn that it will have 'unavoidable, negative effects on primates'.
'Catastrophic Impact' On Southeast Asia
The research points out that existing operations have had a serious impact on wildlife in other regions with the research highlighting 'lessons learned from the catastrophic impact of industrial oil palm plantations on wildlife in Southeast Asia'.
Indeed, various non-profits such as the WWF have long alerted international authorities, as well as consumers, on the effects of the palm oil industry in Borneo, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesia's Kalimantan and the small nation of Brunei.
The local palm oil industry is widely thought to be responsible for the brunt of the deforestation (as shown in the WWF map above) happening in the country over the past few decades, putting primate species such as orang-utan on the list of endangered species.
Sustainable Approach
While the market for palm oil is still expanding globally some retailers, like frozen food chain Iceland recently decided to stop using palm oil altogether in its private label products in a move towards building a more sustainable business.
As Richard Walker, the company's managing director commented at the time, "Until Iceland can guarantee palm oil is not causing rainforest destruction, we are simply saying 'no' to palm oil".
Elsewhere, initiatives such as the Roundtable On Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have been gaining traction recently, incentivising brands like Nestlé to commit to a plan towards a more sustainable production.
In a context where care for the environment is becoming more than just a consumer trend, environmental groups are hoping it will be a hard sell to justify the development of an industry that could endanger part of the natural capital of Africa.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Matthieu Chassain. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
