Recently, there has been a great expansion in the plantation of oil palm. Palm oil is used for cooking and can substitute the much more expensive coco oil in producing chocolate. It is also used to produce bio- fuel. But due to its impacts on the environment, it has become a global concern. These slides focus on the case of oil plantation in Borneo Island, an island which is shared between Malaysia and Indonesia (with a very small part ruled by Brunei).
Borneo is a tropical island with massive bio- diversity. Recently, large tropical areas have been cleared for the plantation of oil palm. Palm planted areas do not allow for the richness of life forms found in tropical forests. Hence, palm plantation is seen as a serious threat to local species – many of them are believed to be already in danger of becoming extinct, such as the Orangutan (a giant ape).
Malaysia has enforced regulations to control logging and plantation activities. But the phenomena of deforestation is continued. There have been many reports about these regulations being betrayed by corrupted officials in both the Malaysian as well as the Indonesian territories. Motifs to bribe officials are easily understood considering the attractiveness of the revenues generated from palm oil compared to other crops. The problem of deforestation in Borneo island is strongly linked to corruption that the former cannot be successfully targeted without dealing with the latter.
Articles: “Biofuel plantations on Forested Lands: Double Jeopardy for Biodiversity and Climate,” authored by Danielsen F. Et Al “Oil Palm: Disinformation Enables Deforestation,” authored by Lian Pin Koh and David S. Wilcove “Exploring Land Use Changes and the Role of Palm Oil Production in Indonesia and Malaysia,” authored by Birka Wicke Et Al “Addressing the Threats to Biodiversity from Oil-Palm Agriculture,” authored by Wilcove, David S. “Wildlife-Friendly Oil Palm Plantations Fail to Protect Biodiversity Effectively,” authored by Edwards, David P. Et Al Websites: