Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States; Biological Institute, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation. Electronic address: rgatti@purdue.edu
  • 2 Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, United States
  • 3 Biological Institute, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russian Federation
Sci Total Environ, 2019 Feb 20;652:48-51.
PMID: 30359800 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.222

Abstract

The globalization of the palm oil trade poses a menace to the ecosystem integrity of Southeast Asia. In this short communication, we briefly discuss why palm oil certifications may have failed as an effective means to halt forest degradation and biodiversity loss. From a comparison of multiple new datasets, we analysed recent tree loss in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, and discovered that, from 2001 to 2016, about 40% of the area located in certified concessions suffered from habitat degradation, deforestation, fires, or other tree damages. Certified concessions have been subject to more tree removals than non-certified ones. We also detect significant tree loss before and after the start of certification schemes. Beyond non-governmental organisations' concern that Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) certifications allow ongoing clearance of any forest not identified as of high conservation values (HCV) or high carbon stock (HCS), we suggest an alarming and previously overlooked situation, such as that current "sustainable palm oil" is often associated with recent habitat degradation and forest loss. In other words, certified palm oil production may not be so sustainable.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.