Palm Oil - Opportunity or Curse

One thing that is very noticable upon entry into Malaysia is the Palm Trees. The highway is lined with endless plantations of Palm trees.

Now I doesn't take long in Asia for the issue of Palm trees and Palm oil to become apparent, whether through reading the newspaper or travelling, but is seems to be to be a major issue. The growth in trade of Palm oil for I presume cosmetics, potentially bio-fuels and other products has led to many palm plantations being created at the expense of natural rainforest. Driving through Malaysia it seems devastating the amount of palm tree plantations there are. I know I should look at them the same way as I look at cattle farms and pine plantations you see in Australia, but here it is noticable that these plantation are quite new and that the existing landscape has been cleared quite recently.

This issue is of course worse in Sabah and Sarawak, both located on Borneo, where the clearing of rainforest for palm plantations is going ahead full steam with, what I have read in the newpaper, little intervention and even support from the Malaysian government. Having just been to the Singapore Zoo which houses many of the animals that live in these regions and the evnironmental and scientific benefits that come from rainforest, it seems a dreadful shame. Long term opportunities losing out against short term economic interest.

I thought I would just raise this issue in the hope that the awareness can help reduce the impact.