ENVIRONMENTAL COST OF THE CULTIVATION OF THE AFRICAN PALM TREE

A bunch of palm fruit on a palm tree

The African palm tree has many uses. Notwithstanding its versatility, the palm tree is cultivated at environmental costs. Its uses can be divided into two main basic parts. The two parts are the traditional use and the commercial use. Palm tree, the palm tree from which red oil is produced, is one of the many members of the palm family.
The origin of this particular palm tree is West Africa. In West Africa the tree is found in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroun, Benin etc. From West Africa it got to Malaysia and Indonesia. Today Indonesia and Malaysia are the top two commercial producers of palm oil in the world, through aggressive plantation expansion programs, at the cost of rain forest loss.

The traditional uses of the palm tree are varied.  I am a Ghanaian so I am going to view the uses from the Ghanaian view point, however I know that some of the uses are cross-cutting, across the West Africa sub region.
TRADITIONAL USE
  • Red oil extracted from the palm tree fruit is used in making food.
  • From the fruit is the palm kernel from which another type of oil is extracted.
  • The juice extracted from the palm fruit is used in making palm soup.
  • From the palm frond one can get broom for sweeping by peeling off the green leaf.
  • From the same frond cane is peeled to weave basket.
  • A wine called palm wine is extracted from the palm tree.
  • In Nigeria palm wine is presented as a requirement in engagement ceremonies.
  • From the same palm tree gin is extracted. It is normally referred to as local gin. In Ghana the real name of the gin is Akpeteshie. A little etymology to the name of the gin. In Ghana during the colonial times the gin was banned, pushing its production and sale underground. To be able to procure the gin one had to tread stealthily so as not to be caught. Akpeteshie is a Ga (a minority ethnic group in Ghana) word.

COMMERCIAL USE
At the commercial level, the palm fruit of the palm tree is used in the manufacture of the following:  
  • Soap- Sunlight, Palmolive
  • Washing powder
  • Toothpaste
  • Confectionery
  • Shampoo
  • Cosmetics
  • Biodiesel
  • Biofuel- palm fruit shell

ENVIRONMENTAL COST
The following are some of the environment costs that is the consequence of the commercial cultivation of the African palm tree from which you benefit one way or another:
  • The clearing of forests to cultivate palm trees has resulted in the loss of portions of the natural habitat of the orangutan in Malaysia and Indonesia.
  • Loss of rain forests rain forest results in the loss of biodiversity and ecosystems. Biodiversity and ecosystems keep the environment in a balance. When an ape for example, swallows a seed and drops it elsewhere through excretion that plant species is spread and perpetuated.
  • Increase in emission of greenhouse gas- clearing of forest involves the burning of trees resulting in greenhouse gas emissions. When greenhouse gas enters the atmosphere it makes the atmosphere warmer, resulting in increase in sea levels, drought, storms etc.
  • Clearing of forests for cultivation of palm trees opens up the rain forest and exposes animals to poachers, and endangerment of species. There is also the dislocation and dismemberment of local human communities.

PARTING SHOT
Again, through this post, the blog shows how you as a man is inextricably related to the natural environment. The traditional and commercial uses of the African palm tree indicate how dependent man is on the palm tree for sustenance. As long as man populates this planet they are going to need the natural environment as a life support system. If you and I yank the natural environment from under us through its overexploitation, as is being done with the replacement of rain forests with palm plantations, for example, we should have nothing as a life-support system.
Even though we need the benefits we derive from the African palm tree for us to function in our daily lives, and for sure we are created to depend on the natural environment for sustenance, we need to do so in ways so as to ensure a clean and balanced natural environment, sustainably.  



Reference:
http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/Whats_the_issue.php

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