Hi:) Palm oil production has long been a contentious issue and a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the oil's renewable source and application as biofuel make it an appealing alternative, but on the other, some of the most devastating deforestation has occurred to cultivate it. But in a policy move designed to both protect its remaining forests and replenish parts already lost, Brazil announced today a plan to expand its palm oil cultivation into previously deforested regions, promising a sustainable alternative to the destructive methods practiced in other parts of the world.
The Program for Sustainable Production of Palm Oil, announced by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, is novel in its approach to protecting standing forests while allowing cultivation in areas that have been deforested in the past, namely for use as short-lived sugarcane plantations or lumber operations. The program would allow palm oil to be produced without the net negative impact from its cultivation seen in Indonesia and Malaysia, where rainforests are cleared for palm plantations.
