Indonesia accounted for 57% of this (41 million tonnes), and Malaysia produced 27% (20 million tonnes).84% of global palm oil production comes from Indonesia and Malaysia. In the chart we see the production of the palm oil plant across a number of countries. Other producers include Thailand, Colombia, Nigeria, Guatemala, and Ecuador.
How many hectares does palm oil produce?
The world devotes more than 300 million hectares for oilcrop production. Palm oil accounts for 6% of this land use, which is small when we consider that it produces 36% of the oil. Is palm oil responsible for deforestation? Land use to grow palm has more than quadrupled since 1980. But has this expansion came at the expense of tropical forest?
What is oil palm cultivation?
Oil palm cultivation involves the introduction and spread of invasive species, including the oil palm itself (noted in Madagascar and Brazil’s Atlantic Forests 47 ), as well as non-native cover crops and nitrogen-fixing plants (for example, Mucuna bracteata or Calopogonium caeruleum ).
Is palm oil a good crop?
Palm oil is a very productive crop; as we will see later, it produces 36% of the world’s oil, but uses less than 9% of croplands devoted to oil production. It has therefore been a natural choice to meet this demand. Who uses palm oil and what is it used for? Why has the market for palm oil – and vegetable oils more broadly – increased so rapidly?