Oil pest in the rainforest? The oil palm boom in indonesia and malaysia

ABSTRACT During the last decades no other tropical crop has been similarly successful as the oil palm. This is particularly true for Indonesia and Malaysia, that contribute about 85% to the total palm oil production of the world. Palm oil and palm kernel oil are important ingredients for the various foodstuffs and also play a leading role in the oleochemical industry. The main reasons for this success are the manifold usability, the high productivity and the reasonable price. Economists and politicians praise the enormous potential of the palm oil industry for economic growth and food security, as well as for rural employment and poverty alleviation in developing countries. There are, however, also critical voices: the oil palm boom is made responsible for the destruction of rainforests, the decrease of biodiversity, the pollution of rivers, the rise of forest fires and the displacement of local communities. The present article aims at discussing and evaluating these two positions. Keywords: Oil palms, palm oil, nucleus estates, rain forest destruction, rural employmen