THE PALM OIL INDUSTRY

    One of the world's most widely used edible vegetable oils is palm, which can be found in various varieties of everyday products from junk food to detergents. It grows best in tropical areas where rainforests occur, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. Demand for edible vegetable oils has grown strongly in recent decades, and the palm oil industry has expanded rapidly to meet the global demand. There are various reasons why  palm oil has been widely utilized in daily products and goods is that palm trees have high yield , and the palm industry has provided people with new employment opportunities. The palm oil industry has had many types of effects on the environment and all living creatures.

     Firstly, one of the disastrous environmental impacts of the booming palm oil industry is deforestation. Palm can grow in regions only within 10 degrees north or south of the equator. The regions house vast areas of tropical rainforest rich in biodiversity on the continents of Asia, Africa, and South America. Day after day, huge tracts of rainforests are being cut to make room for new plantations and to meet the rising demand, which leads the world's precious rainforests to be destroyed. Deforestation for palm oil production also contributes significantly to climate change. For example, In Indonesia – the world’s largest producer of palm oil –  vast areas of forests are  disappearing, and releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the other adverse effect is  the destruction of the world's precious rainforests. Because of clearing a piece of land for new fields, endangered species of many animals and plants  face extinction, and their population is declining. Some of them are orangutans, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Sun Bears, Pygmy Elephants, and so forth.

   

    Lastly, one of the social consequences of the booming palm oil industry is job opportunities. Many people living in regions where palm oil is produced work in the palm oil industry  growing  palm trees for example.  While the global palm oil production does create an opportunity to bring many communities out of poverty, the industry has also had a devastating impact on groups of people in these places. For example, in rural regions of  Borneo and Sumatra, many people work on oil palm plantations and they think that this is good for their economies. However, the government allows corporations to take the land owned by indigenous peoples for their own financial benefit. This is more harmful to these people. Moreover, the palm oil industry has an adverse effect: it violates human rights. For instance, many children living in these areas must work in the palm oil industry because of their family condition and they confront many problems such receiving little or no pay for their efforts. Also, smallholders and indigenous people who have inhabited and protected the forest for generations are often brutally driven from their land.

   

    In conclusion, the palm oil industry has rapidly expanded and has led to many types of serious problems. The palm oil industry cannot be stopped due to the global demand. Therefore, we should take the necessary measures to reduce its adverse impacts. For example, the awareness of the dangerous affects of the palm oil industry should be raised, and governments should promote sustainable palm oil. It is an approach to oil palm agriculture that aims to produce palm oil without causing deforestation or harming people.