The Indian government introduced a new plan in August to boost palm oil production. India is one of the largest consumers of palm oil used in almost everything from soaps to chips. But the country still imports most of its palm oil.
India also produces other vegetable oils, such as mustard and soybeans, but in recent years it has experienced an exponential demand for palm oil.
To reduce dependence on other countries and reduce import bills, the government decided to boost domestic production of the goods. This year’s high prices have also forced the government to rethink its strategy.
What is the “mission” of Indian palm oil?
India’s latest palm oil project, the National Mission on Edible Oils – Palm Oil (NMEO-OP), aims to boost palm oil production in regions with high rainfall . Oily palm crops require year-round rainfall to achieve successful growth.
India wants to target the northeast of the country and the eastern archipelago of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for its project.
These ecologically sensitive areas are home to many different types of flora and fauna.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the NMEO-OP as a “game changer” and said the project will benefit these regions.
The government also hopes the initiative will help farmers increase their incomes, with a crop that produces more oil than traditional oilseeds such as peanuts or sunflowers.
India sets new goals on palm oil
India currently produces palm oil on more than 300,000 hectares (741,316 acres) of land and plans to cover an additional 650,000 hectares by 2025-26.
India requires 25 million tonnes of palm oil every year, according to MV Prasad, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research. The country produces about 10 million tons and imports 15 million more from other countries.
India’s broad coverage will help increase production by 1.12 million metric tons (1.23 million US tons), Prasad told DW. The government is expected to spend more than $ 10 million (8.4 million euros) to implement its new palm oil project.
How will the project impact biodiversity?
Officials have said the government wants the cultivation of palm oil crops to be done only on land that is already being used by farmers. Environmentalists, however, remain skeptical and are concerned about the kind of impact the project could have on India’s wildlife.
Sudhir Kumar Suthar, an adjunct professor of political science at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said replacing one type of forest cover with another, as in the case of palm oil cultivation, threatens the existence of biodiversity.
The northeastern region of India is home to 51 types of forests and the cultivation of palm oil can be destructive, he said.
A study conducted in 2020 by Malaysian scientists found that the conversion of forest areas into palm oil plantations also resulted in higher carbon emissions. It was noted that from 1990 to 2005, approximately 50% to 60% of the expansions of oil palm plantations were the result of forest clearings.
The destruction of rainforests would impede international efforts to combat climate change.
How would farmers and tribal communities be affected?
Vinita Gowda, an evolutionary biologist who has studied extensively in northeast India, warns that the government of India should learn from what is happening to palm oil giants like Indonesia and Malaysia.
The two Southeast Asian countries produce between 80% and 90% of the world’s palm oil on plantations that were once forests. But environmentalists are urging the Indonesian government to extend the freezing of palm oil cultivation that went into effect in 2015.
Meanwhile, the US has banned the import of palm oil from two Malaysian plantations over alleged workers ’abuse claims.
According to Suthar, palm oil cultivation could also negatively affect the country’s groundwater and the way land is used by farmers and tribal peoples.
Suthar cited the northeastern state of India, Arunachal Pradesh, where much of the land is owned by tribal communities. The political scientist warned that the crop would affect the forest rights of the tribes.