Please see this interesting conference done by the President Nico Roozen of NGO Solidaridad-The Netherlands: https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/news/blog-disrupting-our-thinking-on-palm-oil. Bonabio is doing 100% of their palmoils, certified RSPO IP or SG.
During a recent trip to Asia, Solidaridad’s honorary president Nico Roozen was struck by a meeting with a farmer whose thoughts contradicted the current dominant narrative of palm oil as the main driver of deforestation. Could palm oil, in fact, be our saviour? Read Nico’s views on this topic in his latest article.
During my recent visit to India to join the annual Globoil conference, I met with high level delegations from Indonesia, Malaysia and India, led by the respective ministers. Together we visited farmers and grassroots organizations deeply rooted in the palm oil sector – these visits triggered me to review my understanding of realities. Being a good listener, Solidaridad could take steps to bring our local partnerships to the next level.
TIME FOR DISRUPTIVE THINKING: PALM OIL AS AVOIDED DEFORESTATION
Imagine a world where the need for affordable vegetable oil was covered by rapeseed, soybean or sunflower oil from the moderate climate zones. Or by another less productive vegetable oil variety, like the palm tree from the tropics.
These low productivity crops would have created an ecological disaster of an unimaginable size.
Productivity data reveal that oil palm is the most efficient crop in converting solar energy into vegetable oil. In fact, it is 8-10 times more productive per hectare of land than other vegetable oils. With less land, palm oil producers can produce significantly more than their competitors.
Source: Oil World (2008) Oil World Statistic ISTA Mielke GmBh Hamburg
For sure, palm oil production has damaged forest landscapes. But at the same time, it has saved many forest areas. For alternative crops the land seizure would have been much bigger, and the loss of biodiversity and forests much greater.
A proud farmer told me "palm oil has saved the world from an ecological disaster." I immediately understood that there was some truth in his disruptive thinking.
Farmers’ wisdom can help you to demystify the rhetoric of dark green campaigners and dominant thinking, which sees palm oil as the main driver of deforestation.
