Making palm oil more sustainable
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Helping oil palm smallholders adopt more responsible practices is key to reducing the industry s environmental impact.
published : 11 Jan 2021 at 12:30
3 Most palm oil products in Thailand and Asean nations come from small and medium-sized oil palm growers. Supplied/GIZ
Palm oil has long been a major economic backbone of Southeast Asian economies, notably Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. But the undeniable environmental impact of extensive deforestation, haze and forest fires caused by oil palm plantations has given the industry a bad reputation that has been hard to shake.
To pave the way for greener practices and greater economic benefit from the palm oil sector, policymakers, businesses and consumers have key roles to play in supporting sustainable palm oil by demanding it, experts say.