More research is urgently needed on the biodiversity impact of palm oil production, says a new report, as food and other consumer goods manufacturers make sustainable sourcing a priority.
Palm oil, a major source of vegetable oils and fat, is derived from the tropical crop oil palm, which is cultivated in lowland areas of South America, Africa and Asia. The two biggest producers are Malaysia and Indonesia.
According to the authors of the new report looking at the focus of recent research on palm oil, published in the journal PLoS ONE, more than 10.7m hectares of land are now devoted to oil palm - an increase of168 per cent on 1960. More than 37m metric tons of palm oil were produced in 2005.
They say that higher levels of palm oil production are generally associated with a higher number of endangered species - but there is a sore lack of research into the extent of the problem, particularly when it comes to the insect level.
This is an issue for food companies looking to lay down a good track record on sustainability.
According to the authors of the new report looking at the focus of recent research on palm oil, published in the journal PLoS ONE, more than 10.7m hectares of land are now devoted to oil palm - an increase of168 per cent on 1960. More than 37m metric tons of palm oil were produced in 2005.
They say that higher levels of palm oil production are generally associated with a higher number of endangered species - but there is a sore lack of research into the extent of the problem, particularly when it comes to the insect level.
This is an issue for food companies looking to lay down a good track record on sustainability.
