Conflict Palm Oil Analysis

The orangutan, one of the world’s great apes, resides on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The forests of these islands are being destroyed in order to create palm oil plantations. Palm oil is in high demand due to its uses as a biofuel and as a vegetable oil. The palm oil industry is a major threat to the survival of the critically endangered orangutans, due to loss of habitat. This leads to illegal poaching since the orangutans are viewed as pests, leaving many young infants orphaned and alone. There are rescue groups that rehabilitate these great apes, but more must be done in order to prevent the extinction of this rapidly declining species. Sustainable palm oil options need to be researched and utilized and there should

Palm oil is a lucrative business that generates billions of dollars a year. It is

Repercussions of burning oil have arisen more progressively. The debatable topic of global warming holds burning fossil fuels responsible for higher temperatures in colder climates. An article by World Book explains why oil is so harmful towards the environment. As more cars are produced more pollutants are released into the atmosphere, those pollutants cause smog in larger manufacturing oriented cities as well as, acid rain. Factories, burning oil, dispose of the remaining chemicals into bodies of water rendering them unsafe to drink for both humans and animals alike (Hunt par. 1). Another article produced through World Book describes the

Deforestation has lead to terrible living conditions and 38 species have been driven to extinction. John Vidal, author of “The Sumatran Rainforest Will Mostly Disappear Within 20 Years,” writes about the ways logging companies are getting past regulations to take more land and logs away from the forest and natives. Ian Sample, author of “Amazon’s Doomed Species Set to Pay Deforestation’s ‘Extinction Debt,’” on the other hand mostly talks about the affects deforestation has on animals. Vidal has the better argument over Sample because his explanations about its effects on humans and corruption from companies and the government.

The book, Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil is a warning to the world about the great harms that have been imposed on people and the earth by our need and dependence on petroleum products. The story is much darker than most people know and Maass is hoping to change that.

“Between 2000 and 2013, 2.3 Million square kilometers (890,000 square miles) of forest around the world were cut down.” We are slowly precipitating an Earth that will fail in providing resources. To take in consideration that only 6.2 million square kilometers of forest remains, from the original 16 million, shows how consumers encourage deforestation and in the matter of 13 years, were able to destroy 12.5% of nature. One of the ways Sanders exposes these corporations by stating,“The scale of devastation caused by human activity is unprecedented, and it is accelerating, spurred on by a global system of nation-states battling for advantage, and by an economic system addicted to growth and waste. So the work of conservation becomes ever more urgent” (Sanders 212).

The Sumatran Orangutan population has depleted drastically in the last twenty to thirty years due to their habitat loss through the clearing of forests to pave way for oil palm plantations and other agricultural developments (Gursky-Doyen, S., & Supriatna, J., 2010). With palm oil being extremely versatile, its demand has resulted in having 48 million tonnes of palm oil being produced each year for the world export market (Oil World Trade Journal, 2008),

The impacts of deforestation can be devastating. Jobs, products, and money may be created right now, but the long-term effects are not as pleasant. Because of deforestation, soil erosion is more likely to occur, and the water cycle may become imbalance, hurting those in the agriculture department, including your business. Without the trees, the greenhouse gas emissions increase, wreaking havoc on the weather and helping Global Warming; in turn, all living things suffer from the change, causing extinction of plants and animals needed. Along the previous statements, people depend on the rainforest; with it gone, their lives are at stake and thrown into chaos. If Palm Oil continues this destructive process, you, the company, and your associates will build a bad reputation amongst consumers and business partners, which will also harm your business. Deforestation is a situation in which no one wins, socially or economically, locally and internationally. From what I can see and mentioned above, the benefits do not outweigh the costs. If anything, helping in the fight against deforestation will help you out. In one study from around the world, 52% in the survey said they will pay extra a company’s products and services if it is associated with positive environmental and social impact, and 67% of those interviewed said that they preferred to work for companies that are socially

. People come and cut down the trees that the orangutans live in just for palm oil.

Dr. Oz, the beloved host of the popular television health show The Dr. Oz Show, has a new superfood ready to improve everyone’s health: red palm oil. This oil, while containing unhealthy saturated fats, is actually great for your health. Red palm oil is different; it “lowers bad cholesterol by 40% in just one month” and “reduces the concentration of fatty tissue” by “igniting your metabolism,” and even has antioxidant powers. The calories from consuming red palm oil are instantaneously used for energy, meaning no calories will be absorbed and stored in troublesome regions like your hips and thighs. Indeed, red palm oil will help you “whittle away that frustrating belly fat.” With claims like these, it is no wonder Dr. Oz believes that red palm oil will be the “most popular new product in America.” Sound too good to be true? Unfortunately, Dr. Oz’s bold claims extolling the virtues of red palm oil do not have enough solid scientific evidence to back them and are riddled with rhetoric designed to persuade you to buy this pseudoscientific product (Health Benefits Of Red Organic Palm Oil For the body).

Palm oil harvest often leads to deforestation of the rainforests, and raises many ethical concerns from the public, (Levitt, 2015).

Studies show that tropical forests absorb almost two billion tons of carbon each year, equivalent to 1/5th of the world's carbon emissions, by storing it in their bark, leaves and soil. However, an equivalent amount is lost through logging, clearing of land for grazing, and growing biofuel crops such as palm oil, soya bean and sugar. Peat fires in forests add significantly to the greenhouse gas emissions. (Greenhouse, 2014) For decades, millions of hectares of forest have been cleared with various motives in mind. Two countries that have suffered greatly are Haiti, located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, and Indonesia, an archipelago island country in Southeast Asia. This report will discuss the omnipresent environmental problem these countries endure, the reasoning and rational behind these decisions, and the impacts and consequences these actions face. According to the last report from the International Panel on Climate Change, tropical deforestation is

Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation because as human population grows the need for agricultural products increases. Unfortunately, the land used for cultivation results in the displacement of tree reliant animals such as the orangutan. “Without forests, orangutans cannot survive” (Galdikas). Palm oil is produced from trees grown in large plantations in regions where tropical rainforests once existed. The orangutans’ way of life revolves around the existence of trees, they nest in trees, drink water out of holes, and eat their fruit. Orangutans also

Many including Rothkopf, Grunwalf, and Ruiz-Marrero claim that biofuel is not the solution but rather will become a problem. They claim that if biofuel was produced in large quantity then agriculture would convert from food to fuel. According to the World Bank, over seventy five percent of the rises in food prices is directly caused by biofuel. Indonesia is the leading producer of palm oil, a major biofuel. In order to increase productivity, the people destroyed thousands of trees to plant palm tree. The destruction led to an increase in carbon production. Indonesia moved from the 21st most carbon producer to the third. Another major producer of biofuel is Brazil. If Brazilian farmers were to deforest the Amazon rainforest, it could cause a fifty percent increase in global warming. Through the world, deforestation accounts for over twenty percent of carbon emission. A gallon of biofuel requires the same amount of grain as a person would eat in a year. The switch from food to fuel would cause a worldwide food shortage and an increase in world hunger.

Monthly operations is important, but it also depends on company performance in particular areas of activity. Performance in the marketplace influences profitability, and in the case for Bintang Harapan Desa, their heart and soul lies in the production of crude palm oil. Nearly 4,500-5,000 tons of Crude Palm oil is made monthly to be distributed to buyers who are mainly cooking oil manufacturers and biodiesel manufacturers. The key indicator on overall performance of market operation are market share and market ranking by sales volume. As of now, Indonesia is the largest producer of crude palm oil, producing more than 20.9 million tonnes. Despite Indonesia being the largest producer, there are only a few businesses that are in the business of palm oil making; Bintang Harapan Desa is one of the few. Thus, a substantial market share and being one of the top supplier is a factor to determine the overall performance too, since it allows market influence on pricing and are more likely to be more