Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

INDUSTRIALIZATION AND GLOBAL WARMING (A BRIEF CASE ANALYSIS OF PALM OIL PRODUCTION: INDONESIA)

Jasmeet Lamba

Abstract

Ever since the last decade palm oil production has increased many folds and so has the use of the oil in various industries. Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world and produced 32.5 million tonnes of crude palm oil in 2014, exporting almost 80% of it to yield a considerable USD$18.6 billion in revenue. The numbers went up even further with 36 million tonnes of palm oil produced in 2017 alone. Evidently, the surge has given major boost to the palm oil industry, which has become the biggest currency earner in Indonesia, considering it is only second to Malaysia as the world’s largest exporter of palm oil. However, the flip side of it is the devastating effect it has on the environment. Destruction of forests has led to catastrophic effects on our ecosystem. Institutional investors as well as individuals play a key role in financing the expansion of palm oil industry and are able to minimize the destruction caused by deforestation. A large-scale promotion of land grab-free investment policies and practices is definitely a first step in the direction. Depletion of natural resources causing serious and immediate health issues, and in some cases, overall survival of communities is an act of human rights violation and must be dealt with seriousness and sensitivity.