Environmental Governance

GC003B-17SBS: Environmental Governance

Abstract:

Among all vegetable oils, palm oil has been the most controversial, not least because of its purported negative impacts on the environment. Palm oil producing countries have constantly had to contend with accusations that palm oil is driving environmental destruction and degradation in their countries. At the same time, there is a continued high demand for palm oil in many food and manufacturing industries around the world. The reduction of biodiversity as a result of deforestation and carbon release from peatlands, which result in fires and climate change, are two primary environmental concerns associated with palm oil production in both regions. In Malaysia and Indonesia, the booming palm oil industry has already driven destruction of large swatches of rainforests and release of carbon from large areas of peat. In Latin America, palm oil production is still small, however any rise in production will put the biodiversity of the Amazon basin and carbon sinks there at risk. Latin America is now considered a ‘greenfield’ for palm oil investment and countries in this region is embarking on policies to expand palm oil production there. Hence, there are lessons to be learnt from both regions towards best practises for the environment in the palm oil industry, to ensure that palm oil production in both regions are governed appropriately to ensure environmental sustainability and equitable development for the local peoples who rely on this crop.

Objective:

1. To compare the extent of environmental impact in both regions resulting from the palm oil industry.

2. To compare how governments in both regions have addressed environmental concerns related to the palm oil industry.

3. To compare how both regions balance developmental pressures (from palm oil) against climate change concerns.

Methodology:

1. Desk review of literature, and environmental standards and policies related to the palm oil industry in palm-oil growing countries in both regions.

2. Consultation and interviews with government agencies, industry associations, major plantation companies and environmental NGOs.

3. This study will also rely on international linkages and collaboration to produce policy papers and publishable findings (either in the form of an edited book or journal special issue) beneficial for both regions. The sub-project will kick off with a workshop bringing together experts working on individual countries in both regions, where papers will be presented answering the sub-project’s three specific research questions through the lens of each particular country. In this way, the environmental governance practices and policies of countries in these two regions will be analysed to examine how both governments are balancing between environmental and developmental needs in their agricultural frontiers.

Expected outputs/impacts:

1 ISI, 1 edited volume, 1 policy paper and/or infographic, 1 Masters