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Negative Effects Of Palm Oil

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There is an abundance of atrocities facing the modern world that we live in, but one of the most important and critically pressing of these atrocities is often overlooked. The very ecosystems and resources that we rely so heavily on for the success of our global economies are being exploited at a rate that will have catastrophic consequences on the future of our economic success, as well as drive a large portion of the worlds biodiversity into extinction. Among the most prevalent case of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss includes the rapid deforestation and loss of biodiversity that is caused by the production of palm oil in the South Asian countries Indonesia and Malaysia. Many may argue that this rapid deforestation is simply due to the rapidly growing global population, whereas many others view this issue as the effect of greed and consumerism that surrounds a capitalistic market. The production of this forest risk commodity is responsible for the absurd rate of deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, has a profoundly negative effect on the biodiversity located in Indonesia and Malaysia, and can best be explained from a political economy standpoint. Palm oil is a key component in the production of a vast array of products that span over many different industries such as the consumer retail food industry, the personal care and cosmetics industry, the biofuel industry, and the pharmaceutical industry. It is estimated that approximately 50% of all items found

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