Palm oil is produced from trees in Indonesia, Malaysia, Africa, and the Amazon, but the expansion of plantations is controversial due to deforestation. Palm oil is used in food, cosmetics, and biofuels, and is the second most consumed oil in the food industry. Farmers clear and drain peat land to create plantations and harvest the fruit after three or four years. Environmental groups are concerned about habitat loss and carbon emissions, but some plantations are working towards sustainability.
A palm oil plantation produces tree varieties that produce fruit containing oil used in soaps, foods, cosmetics and as a biofuel. Indonesia and Malaysia produce most of the palm oil harvested, but plantations can also be found in the Amazon and Africa. The expansion of these farms sparks controversy among environmental groups because tropical forests are typically logged and drained to create a palm oil plantation.
A palm farmer could sell the fruit to the biofuel industry as a source of clean energy. When palm oil is mixed with diesel, it produces a carbon dioxide-free fuel when burned in engines. This type of biofuel is considered one of the cheapest to produce, but some opponents of its production say the damage to rainforests exceeds the value of the palm oil.
Palm oil is the second most consumed oil in the food industry, with soybean oil being the most popular edible oil. A palm plantation could sell the product to food manufacturers who make crackers, chips and other snack foods. This oil also goes into laundry soaps and bath products. Some plantations contain millions of trees, providing a lucrative income in underdeveloped areas.
A farmer typically clears and drains peat land in a tropical forest to create a palm oil plantation and might burn stumps and peat left behind. This palm species requires a very hot climate with lots of rain to thrive. The trees also need deep, mineral-rich soil with good drainage. The climate and soil of a tropical rainforest is an ideal location for a successful palm plantation.
A farmer typically plants seedlings after the palms have about 15 leaves. The plants grow female flowers as well as male flowers, with the male pollen fertilizing the female flowers, which develop into clusters of fruit at the tips of the leaves. Oil palm trees contain trunks and leaves, but no branches. The fruit is ready to harvest after three or four years, when it turns red and starts falling off the trees. Plantation workers usually climb logs and use scythes, machetes or chisels to remove the fruit.
The fruit produced on an oil palm plantation consists of pulp that surrounds a seed. The pulp is crushed to extract the palm oil, while the kernel contains palm kernel oil. A palm oil farmer aims to produce fruit with thin shells, large kernels and lots of pulp to get the most oil from the plant. The fruit is sent to the mills for extraction. Some farmers feed their cattle fruit shells as a high-protein supplement.
Peat acts as a sponge to absorb carbon dioxide when moist, but once a peat is drained, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Fires started to clear land also contribute to harmful emissions. Environmental groups are also expressing concern about wildlife habitat loss as tropical forests disappear. As the controversy surrounding these plantations has grown, so have efforts to create sustainable palm oil plantations. Some plantations have created nature reserves seeded with rare species to address the environmental impacts of palm oil plantations.
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