Palm Oil

               After soybeans and their associated field crops—maize, sorghum, cotton, and wheat—the next most significant crop in the Amazon is palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) (Killeen, 2023). Oil palms produce a fruit known as a drupe. The fleshy outer layer is used to make palm oil, while the inner pits (or kernels) are processed to produce palm kernel oil (Killeen, 2023).

            Oil palm cultivation is concentrated primarily in the northwestern Amazon, with Colombia leading as the region’s top producer (Killeen, 2023). Palm oil is used mostly in manufactured food products, while palm kernel oil finds its primary use in cosmetics. Both, however, have been utilized in the production of biofuels (Killeen, 2023).

            Despite Colombia's leadership in production, the two largest companies involved in palm oil in the Amazon are Ecuadorian: Palmar del Río and Palmeras del Ecuador, the latter being a subsidiary of Danec S.A. (Amazon Frontlines, 2019). Colombia exports much of its palm oil, whereas Brazil—the largest Amazonian country—stands out as the top consumer of Amazonian palm oil (Killeen, 2023).

            While oil palm expansion raises valid concerns, the good news is that it may not be as ecologically destructive as soybean cultivation. Oil palms generate more biomass, leading to increased evapotranspiration and improved carbon sequestration. Though it is still far below the capacity of intact rainforest. Additionally, oil palms form a canopy, which can support more biodiversity than open-field crops like soy or maize, albeit significantly less than untouched rainforest ecosystems.

References:

Killeen Timothy J.(2023) A Perfect Storm in the Amazon Wilderness Second Edition

(June, 2019) From big oil to palm oil: transforming the Ecuadorian Amazon into monocultures Amazon Frontlines

https://amazonfrontlines.org/chronicles/from-big-oil-to-palm-oil/