Found in thousands of products, from peanut butter and
packaged bread to shampoo and shaving cream, palm oil is a booming
multibillion-dollar industry. While it isn't always clearly labeled in
supermarket staples, the unintended consequences of producing this ubiquitous
ingredient have been widely publicised.
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| New palm plantation being established |
The clearing of tropical forests to plant oil palm trees
releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas fueling climate
change. Converting diverse forest ecosystems to these single-crop
"monocultures" degrades or destroys wildlife habitat. Oil palm
plantations also have been associated with dangerous and abusive conditions for
laborers.
Significantly, eroded water quality
now joins the list of risks associated with oil palm cultivation, according to
new research co-authored by researchers from Stanford University and the
University of Minnesota, US, who warn of threats to freshwater streams that
millions of people depend
on for drinking water, food and livelihoods.
The new study in the Journal of Geophysical Research:Biogeosciences contains surprising findings about the
intensity and persistence of these impacts, even in areas fully forested with
mature oil palm trees.
See more HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd.
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