Key messages Several sustainability certification schemes have been developed for palm oil; however, the field impacts of these schemes remain highly uncertain. The Sustainable Palm Oil Production (SPOP) project, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), was aimed at consolidating and deepening the scientific basis of these schemes.SPOP field work undertaken in Indonesia and Cameroon highlighted the large variability in practices and impacts of oil palm systems. Our main results related to the uncovering of the multiplicity of growers and their trajectories, and identifying room for improvement and the need for recommendations adapted to the various grower contexts and strategies.The SPOP project made it explicit that visions of sustainability and global challenges vary greatly among growers and other stakeholders involved in the palm oil sector. These diverging conceptions are most likely to induce bottlenecks in the definition and implementation of good practices and should be accounted for in the refinement of sustainability criteria.Within the SPOP project, we investigated possible futures for oil palm using participatory prospective analyses and multi-agent-based modeling work. Our research work showed that capacity development and the organizational capacity of smallholders, fair partnerships and combined forms of governance are key drivers in ensuring the uptake of good practices and sustainable development at the landscape scale.

This book covers topics related to impacts and challenges in the oil palm production chain (with sustainability in mind) and consists of nine chapters. Three chapters deal with the upstream aspect, including a holistic approach in the sustainability analysis of oil palm processing; sustainable pest and disease management; and assessment on the impacts of oil palm plantations on butterfly fauna. Six chapters discuss downstream applications, including innovative pre-treatment methods and extraction mechanisms in crude palm oil (CPO) processing; challenges and potential of palm-based biomass and palm oil mill effluent for the production of sustainable power and value-added products; and innovative ways for extracting oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) lignin for nutraceutical and health supplements; reproducibility of natural resources for the synthesis of low transition temperature mixtures (LTTMS) as biomass pre-treatment; and reusing oil palm biomass waste to reinforce composite materials. Combining the expertise of leading researchers in their respective field, the book provides an overview on the impacts and challenges encountered in the sustainable oil palm production chain and offers a valuable reference work.

Palm Oil: Production, Processing, Characterization, and Uses serves as a rich source of information on the production, processing, characterization and utilization of palm oil and its components. It also includes several topics related to oil palm genomics, tissue culture and genetic engineering of oil palm. Physical, chemical and polymorphic properties of palm oil and its components as well as the measurement and maintenance of palm oil quality are included and may be of interest to researchers and food manufacturers. General uses of palm oil/kernel oil and their fractions in food, nutritional and oleochemical products are discussed as well as the potential use of palm oil as an alternative to trans fats. Some attention is also given to palm biomass, bioenergy, biofuels, waste management, and sustainability. - Presents several chapters related to oil palm genetics, including oil palm genomics, tissue culture and genetic engineering. - Includes contributions from more than 80 well-known scientists and researchers in the field. - In addition to chapters on food uses of palm oil, the book contains nonfood applications such as use as a feedstock for wood-based products or for bioenergy. - Covers key aspects important to the sustainable development of palm oil.

Grown only in the tropics, the oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries. It is also used in food products, detergents, cosmetics, and, to a small extent, biofuel. Palm oil is a small ingredient in the U.S. diet, but more than half of all packaged products Americans consume contain palm oil-it's found in lipstick, soaps, detergents, and even ice cream. Generally, the objective of this Agricultural Training Manual is to guide its user to the successful cultivation of the crop and best measures to effectively process end products. The manual consisting of 7 modules is presented in a simple easy to understand style. It essentially deals with the explanation of Basic knowledge of agricultural practice, Crop production; the management of oil palm, oil palm has been captured in a separate module to emphasize its importance. Cash crops are plants grown or managed, harvested, and sold for cash rather than for subsistence. They are grown for grains, fruits, flowers, foliage, stems, roots, latex, or any plant organ which may be consumed directly (e.g. fruits, vegetables, cut flowers, and cut foliage) or processed into such products as fiber, rubber, sugar, and biofuel.

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Business economics - Business Ethics, Corporate Ethics, grade: 1,0, Ruhr-University of Bochum (Englisches Seminar), language: English, abstract: Palm oil is a multiplayer, functioning as an ingredient in our everyday food, as an essential ingredient in our cosmetic products and as an energy supplier. We use it on a daily basis, while brushing our teeth with the “Colgate” toothpaste after we ate “Nutella” on toast. After we filled our diesel car with palm oil biodiesel, we probably wash our hands with a “Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap”. In all these products, palm oil is the fundamental ingredient. But where does it come from and how can we identify the problems that occur within the palm oil production? The edible oil seems to be promising, but in fact causes deforestation, carbon dioxide emissions and the loss of biodiversity. The industries, as well as the end consumers are not aware or do not want to be aware of the fact, that the climate is changing and one essential reason for that is the irresponsible production of palm oil. With the help of organizations like “Greenpeace” and “Amnesty International”, it is possible to find out what consequences palm oil production already has. According to Greenpeace UK “An area the size of a football pitch is torn down in Indonesia’s rainforest every 25 seconds, with palm oil driving the destruction.” (Nicholls). This leads to my research question: Is it possible to produce sustainable palm oil? In order to answer my research question, I want to connect its history, as well as the biological process onto the consequences palm oil production already has. Within my essay I will focus on the business and usage of palm oil, showing its unique variety. With the help of examples of different companies, which use palm oil as an ingredient for their products, one has the possibility to form his own opinion on the aspects of sustainability within the palm oil sector. My goal is to raise awareness of the use of palm oil products and to eliminate preconceptions according the palm oil industry in general.