Palms of paradox – cultivating palms to support reforestation and avoid deforestation

Abstract

The role of commercial oil palm cultivation in historical deforestation remains a key reason for western activists to demand a boycott of palm oil. Yet, most commercial palms crops contributed significantly to historical deforestation, and a more holistic approach is needed to determine their economic, social and environmental impacts. According to a study from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), oil palm trees are capable of absorbing 13.7 tons of CO2 per hectare. They only release 3.6 tons of CO2 per ha, most of which comes from Palm Oil Mill Effluents. Therefore, palm oil plantations could absorb 10.1 tons of CO2 per ha. Hence, this paper explores key biological and social economic impacts of the (commercial) cultivation of five palm species in Indonesia: the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), the nipa palm (Nypa fruiticans), the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) and the sugar palm (Arenga pinnata). The analysis concludes that all palms, in particular oil palm, can be used to rehabilitate degraded lands, support reforestation efforts and avoid deforestation.