Great Apes Facing “Direct Threat” From Palm Oil Farming

The booming palm oil industry is destroying habitats for orangutans as well as other endangered species like Asian rhinos and tigers, reports the news syndicate AFP. Palm oil’s expanded use in cosmetics and food products has encouraged deforestation and expansion of plantations in Southeast Asia and Africa. Activists suggest that the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an industry organization formed in 2004 to promote sustainable cultivation, has been ineffective in addressing deforestation. Complicating the issue? “In Southeast Asia, palm oil is a versatile and cheaply farmed cash crop promoted to eradicate poverty,” notes AFP. The article warns that the industry is expected to expand rapidly in Africa, which has fewer regulations. – YaleGlobal