As for the health issues – again, it is an important part of the diet for millions, and it’s awfully western of us to just label it ‘unhealthy’.

It is important that organsiatiosn like RAN continue to make this industry sustainable. The focus must be to insist that Indonesian, Malaysian and other major producers become a lot more responsible in their pursuit of profit and not ignore the implications for people and the planet.

It is also worth noting that not all oil palm plantations are established in tropical rainforests. Many have, but not all. Many plantations are developed in mixed landscapes, with some forest, some paddy fields, agroforestry lands… Often, complete villages are included in the concession areas. Local communities are often poorly informed and consulted about the development, resulting in serious conflict. To many local communities, oil palm doesn’t make economical sense as they make a good living off the land and the commodities they already produce (rubber, rattan etc.). This explains why often a certain level of force is used to assure that communities agree with the project.

Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) from Crude Palm Oil mills is mostly organic waste. It has a very high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) which means that if this stuff leaks into rivers, it may (and repeatedly has) kill all aquatic life. POME can be applied as a fertilizer on the land, a practice that is becoming more widespread. Done right, it can help reduce chemical fertilizer useage, done wrong, it still ends up in the rivers.