Palm oil in Africa

Palm oil in Africa

The oil palm, native to almost all West and Central African countries, is a traditional crop for people in these areas, who plant it on their land or harvest the fruits, leaves or sap of wild palms for use them in their daily lives, whether it's making palm oil locally for their own consumption, or selling it in local markets, or producing palm wine. The oil palm is part of their culture.

Yet in recent years things have started to change. Due mainly to the international demand for palm oil and, more recently, agrofuels, African communities are seeing an increase in oil palm plantations owned by companies covering large areas with the agreement of governments. This does not only happen in West and Central African countries, but in a few regions of East Africa the same trend is occurring.

Large oil palm plantations already have serious ecological and social repercussions in some countries, where communities are losing their territorial rights.

In August 2010, the Tropical Forests Movement published on its blog a series of articles for comment. After receiving several comments, all of these articles have been updated and published as a book.

The book "Oil Palm in Africa: Past, Present and Future" contains a general introduction to the oil palm problem in Africa, followed by specific information on the twenty-three countries studied in this context. research.

It has been fully translated into English and French.

The English version is available at http://wrm.org.uy/countries/Africa/Oil_Palm_in_Africa.pdf .

The French version is available at: http://wrm.org.uy/countries/Africa/Palmier_a_huile_en_Afrique.pdf.

Nevertheless, on the current blog we left the final versions of articles in the "official" language of the countries in question.

We hope that this work will help communities already affected or affected by oil palm plantation projects to defend their territories and livelihoods that large corporations are now endangering with the support of governments.

As long as we plan to periodically update this book, we encourage readers and bloggers to send us any new information to consider.

Finally, we invite our readers to visit the special section of the WRM website, "The Oil Palm in Africa", where they will find additional information on this topic.

RI Affirmed Position of the World's Largest Palm Producers

RI Affirmed Position of the World's Largest Palm Producers

The stakeholders' high-level meeting at UN Headquarters in New York became a milestone for the Indonesian palm oil sector. In this forum, the government and the voiceless business world affirm Indonesia's position regarding the sustainable development of the palm oil sector.

"The strengthening of ISPO is a real commitment from the government and business world in Indonesia to build sustainable palm oil plantation sector," said the Deputy of Food and Agriculture Affairs Ministry of Economy Musdalifah Mahmud when giving his speech at the international forum initiated by UNDP at the United Nations Headquarters ) New York, United States on Wednesday (06/09/2017) local time.

Points to be achieved in a world forum attended by around 300 delegates from various countries, how the world can balance production needs while maintaining environmental sustainability.
Musdalifah, Chairman of GAPKI (Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association) Joko Supriyono also became a speaker in the forum.

Indonesian Palm Oil Plantation

Musdalifah hopes, mid next year, points related strengthening ISPO (Indonesian Palm Oil Plantation) can be met. ISPO is a mandatory sustainability standard for Indonesian oil palm plantations.

"The strengthening of ISPO is a momentum to raise the sustainability standards of Indonesia's palm oil sector to a level that the world can accept," Musdalifah said.

Meanwhile, Joko Supriyono in his presentation asserted if the business community in Indonesia is very committed to achieve the governance of oil palm plantations that are environmentally friendly.

Currently, businesses and governments work together to improve the productivity of oil palm crops especially for smallholders.

"Instead of expanding the land, we are focusing on improving crop productivity," Joko said.

He said, in the midst of the demand for sustainability, Indonesia still have to maintain its position as the world's largest producer of palm oil. "Of course the largest and most sustainable palm oil producers," said Joko.

Apart from Indonesia, the UNDP forum was also present as speakers, among others, Agriculture Minister of Liberia Seklau E. Wiles, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Paraguayan Ranchos Medina, and President of Sociedade Rural Brazil Marcelo Vieira.

Joko Supriyono's presentation received positive reviews from audiences, including from UNDP (UN Agency for Development Program). "We know how the palm oil sector gets the spotlight on deforestation issues to land fires.

"We have heard how the government and the business community in Indonesia are committed to balancing between economic and environmental interests," said Andrew Bovarnick, UNDP's Global Head, who became a discussion guide.

In addition to the oil palm plantation sector in Indonsia, this UNDP summit also discussed sustainability issues in Liberia, Paraguay and Brazil.

KLM Airlines Protested Refuse to Use Palm Oil

KLM Airlines Protested Refuse to Use Palm Oil

Dutch airline KLM gets protests from the CPOCC because it is considered to have called for a negative campaign on the use of palm oil from Indonesia. The protest was delivered by CPOCC in a letter addressed to KLM CEO Pieter Elbers.

In his letter, the CPOCC represented by Executive Director Mahendra Siregar confirmed that KLM's policy is not fundamental. The invitation to use palm oil was loaded with KLM in its corporate magazine.

"With respect, the policies adopted by KLM seem to be a bit misguided and do not know the latest developments in the global vegetable oil market, especially those related to environmental issues," Mahendra said, as quoted in his letter on Friday (24/11/2017).

Mahendra also explained that high vegetable oil demand can only be met by utilizing the productivity of oil palm. This is because palm oil that can produce vegetable oil is higher than other vegetable oil sources such as rape seed, soybean or sunflower.

"Rapeseed produces only vegetable oil of about 0.3 tons per hectare, soybeans and sunflower produce 0.6 tons per hectare. While palm oil can produce 3 to 6 tons per hectare, "added Mahendra.

On the other hand, Indonesia as the largest producer of palm oil has also met the requirements of importing countries of palm oil. One of them is having RSPO certificate which is a commitment not to do logging.

Furthermore Mahendra also explained in his letter that Indonesia also has a policy of replanting old palm trees. Replanting is done on the same land using seeds with good productivity.

"It seems KLM also does not fully understand that the only sustainable palm oil is RSPO certified, whereas Indonesia and Malaysia also have their own certificate of ISPO and MSPO," he said.

To that end, he invites KLM to provide balanced and factual information about palm oil. Moreover KLM has plans to float the route of flight to the ASEAN region especially to Indonesia and Malaysia, the two largest palm oil producing countries in the world.

"I note that KLM is undertaking a development strategy in ASEAN countries, including having Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur as its regional hub.can I suggest that business expansion should consider the sensitivity of the debate on palm oil and a much more balanced assessment of sustainability and the global environment , "he concluded.

Benefits of Palm Crops

 Benefits of Palm Crops

The most important part to be processed from oil palm is its fruit. Part of the meat produces crude palm oil that is processed into raw material of cooking oil. Excess vegetable oil from palm is cheap, low cholesterol, and has high carotene content. Palm oil can also be processed into raw materials of alcohol oil, soap, candles, and the cosmetics industry. The remaining processing of palm fruit is very potential to be a mixture of fodder and fermented into compost. Empty bunches can be used for palm oil mulch, as raw material for making organic pulp and solvent, and oil palm shells can be used as fuel and active charcoal making.

Oil palm has higher productivity than other vegetable oils (such as soy beans, peanuts and others), so the price of production becomes lighter. Long palm oil production period (22 years) will also affect the light of production costs incurred by palm oil businessmen. Palm oil is also the most resistant plant and disease compared to other vegetable oils. When viewed from the per capita consumption of vegetable oils the world reaches an average of 25 kg / year per person, this need will continue to increase in line with population growth and increased per capita konsimsi.

The Role of Oil Palm in Indonesian Economy

In the Indonesian economy, palm oil (in this case oil) has a strategic role, because: (1) Palm oil is the main raw material of cooking oil, so the continuous supply keeps the price stability of the cooking oil. This is important because cooking oil is one of the 9 basic needs of society so that the price must be affordable by all layers of society. (2) As one of agriculture commodities mainstay of non oil and gas export, this commodity has good prospect as source in foreign exchange earnings and taxes. (3) In the process of production and processing also able to create job opportunity and also improve society prosperity.

Until the mid-1970s coconut oil was the main supplier of domestic vegetable oil needs. Both cooking oil and other food industries use coconut oil more than palm oil. Coconut production that tended to decline during the last 20 years caused the supply to be unsafe, resulting in a coconut oil crisis in the early 1970s. On the other hand, palm oil production tended to increase so that the position of palm oil was replaced by palm oil, especially in the cooking oil industry. In terms of foreign exchange earnings, over the last few years the condition is not good. The volume of exports over the past decade has always been increasing, but the increase is not always followed by an increase in its value. This is because of price fluctuations in the international market.

Oil palm histories

The oil palm plant (Elaeis guineensis) originating from western Africa, is the main producer of vegetable oils that have higher productivity than other vegetable oils. Palm oil was first introduced in Indonesia by the Dutch government in 1848. At that time there were 4 seeds of oil palm grown in Bogor Botanical Garden, two from Bourbon (Mauritius) and two others from Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam ( Netherlands). Initially oil palm plants were cultivated as ornamental plants, while the cultivation of crops for new commercial purposes began in 1911.

The pioneer of oil palm plantation in Indonesia is Adrien Hallet (Belgian), then the cultivation which he did followed by K.Schadt which marked the birth of oil palm plantation in Indonesia began to develop. The first oil palm plantations are located on the East Coast of Sumatra (Deli) and Aceh. Plantation area reaches 5,123 Ha.

At the time of Dutch occupation, oil palm plantations advanced rapidly to shift the dominance of African Countries exports at that time. Entering the Japanese occupation, oil palm development declined. The plantation land depreciated by 16% of the total land area so that the production of palm oil in Indonesia only reached 56,000 tons in 1948/1949, when in 1940 Indonesia exported 250,000 tons of palm oil.
In 1957, after the Netherlands and Japan left Indonesia, the government took over the plantation (for political and security reasons). To secure the course of production, the government placed military officers at every level of plantation management. The government also established BUMIL (Military Workers) which is a collaboration between plantation and military workers. Changes in management of plantations and socio-political conditions and domestic security are not conducive, resulting in decreased palm oil production and Indonesia's position as the world's largest supplier of palm oil displaced by Malaysia.

During the New Order government, plantation development was directed in order to create opportunities, improve the welfare of society and the country's foreign exchange sector. The government continues to encourage the opening of new land for plantations. Until 1980, the land area reached 294,560 Ha with CPO production (Crude Palm Oil) of 721 172 tons. Since then the land of oil palm plantation Indonesia is growing rapidly, especially the people's plantation. This is supported by the Government's policy of implementing the Nucleus Estate Company (PIR - BUN) program.

The area of ​​oil palm plantation continues to grow rapidly in Indonesia. This shows the increasing demand for processed products. Exports of palm oil (CPO) Indonesia, among others to the Netherlands, India, China, Malaysia and Germany, while for palm kernel oil products (PKO) more widely exported to the Netherlands, the United States and Brazil.