Palm Oil Production

The Sustainability Debate

Learning Objectives

• Examine the positive and negative impacts of palm oil production in Indonesia.

• Identify the key stakeholders in the palm oil debate.

• Evaluate whether or not the Indonesian Government should expand their palm oil production.

• Identify sustainable solutions to palm oil production

Who has eaten any of the

below? What do they

have in common?

Positive and Negative Aspects of

Palm Oil Production

Throughout this lesson you will add to you palm investigation sheet.

You will be reviewing the positive and negativeimpacts of palm oil production under the key headings.

• Social impacts

• Economical impacts

• Environmental impacts

• Stakeholders

Video: Palm Oil Council

Video: Palm

Oil the gift of

nature

So palm oil is a good

thing then?

In pairs review:

www.betterpalmoil

.org/about

What are the

benefits of palm

oil?

Palm Oil Production –

Indonesia

Indonesia in the worlds biggest producer and consumer of palm oil and is a vital industry to the countries economy.

As of 2012, Indonesia produces 35 percent of the world's certified sustainable palm oil.

Palm oil production has increased from 157,000 tons in 1964 to 31 million tons in 2013. By 2020 Indonesia has projected that 40 million tons will be produced.

Why might this industry be important to Indonesia? In pairs research 3 reasons that would support the production of palm oil in Indonesia.

Think!

Palm Oil Production –Indonesia

Think!

What might be

some of the

problems caused

through the production of

Palm Oil? Discuss

with your partner.

Video: Eco-fuel

Kills The

Orangutans

Watch the video and

add to your investigation

sheet

• Environmental impacts

• Social impacts• Economic impacts

• Stakeholders

Negative Impacts of

Palm Oil

From what you

have learnt so far

create a Venn

Diagram showing

the negative

impacts of palm oil

production.

Social Economic

Environmental

Stakeholders of the

Rainforest – who are they?

With a partner create a

spider diagram of all the

stakeholders you can think of

in this debate.

Stakeholders – Ripple

Diagram

In groups of 2 to 3 cut out the stakeholder role cards.

You will be asked a series of 3 questions -rearrange the cards to show who is most and least affected.

MOST

LEAST

Ripple Diagram

Who is most

negatively affected

by deforestation?

Ripple Diagram

Who is affected most

positively by

deforestation?

Ripple Diagram

Who has the power

to control

deforestation?

Chinese Whispers

Does this Orangutan have a voice

against palm oil

The Rainforest

Debate

Palm Oil Production –Indonesia

Today the members of the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry are meeting to decide whether or not to expand the Palm Oil Production in West Kalimantan, Borneo.

As part of the Ministry’s decision making process, they have invited different interest groups to attend the meeting. This will give them the chance to justify their feelings towards the proposal.

The interest groups invited are:

• Bio-Green Corp - Palm Oil Production Company

• Chop-Chop - Local Logging Company

• Masarang – Charity body for protecting rainforests

• The Dayak Tribe

• Indonesian Ministry of Finance

• Scientists United

• Indonesian Tourist Board

Palm Oil Production –Debate

You will each been given a number to represent a member of a certain stakeholder in this rainforest debate. You will need to first find your group member.

Task:• Using the ‘argument sheet’, discuss how you think the interest

group that you are representing would feel about the proposal.

• Would they be for or against the expansion of Palm Oil production?

• Create at least 3 statements that explain your group’s feelings.

• You must give reasons and supporting evidence to justify your feelings (use the link provided on your argument sheet)

• Choose 2 people from your group who will come to the front and present who you are and your statements to the Ministry of Forestry

Palm Oil Production –Indonesia

1. Bio-Green Corp - Palm Oil Production Company

2. Chop-Chop - Local Logging Company

3. Masarang – Charity body for protecting rainforests

4. The Dayak Tribe

5. Indonesian Ministry of Finance

6. Scientists United

7. Indonesian Tourist Board

The Ministry of Forestry

• The Ministry of Forestry will need to review all of the ‘argument sheets’ to have a general understanding of all the stakeholders involved and the claims may be put forward.

• If you have time you can begin reviewing the articles each stakeholder has access to.

• After all the parties involved have stated their claim you will make a decision as to whether to accept the proposal of to expanding the Palm Oil Production and give a reasoning for doing so.

Palm Oil Production –Debate

Palm Oil Production –Debate

Time for each group to present their statements!

• Whilst each stakeholder group is presenting their statements, everyone should listen and use the information they hear to complete the ‘For or Against’ worksheet.

• Make sure you write at least 2 reasons why each interest group feel the way they do.

• Each interest group is allowed to ask the one question if they wish to challenge a statement that has been made

Palm Oil Production –Debate

Now that the Ministry of Forestry has heard from all the interest groups, they are going to decide whether or not to expand Palm Oil Production in Kalimantan.

They will also justify their decision by giving you reasons for the choice they make.

Palm Oil Production –Debate

• While Ministry of Forestry to preparing

its verdict play the Palm Oil Game

Plenary

• Rank the interest groups according to how much

say you think they should have over development

in the Rainforest (1 = most say, 6 = least say).

• Using the post it notes, write either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as

to whether you think that the Palm Oil production

in Kalimantan should be go ahead. Place you

decision on the board.

• Write down one reason for your answer.

Resources

Dayak Tribe

Loss of home

Loss of knowledge

Loss of many species, many of

which may be invaluable to medical research

Local tribes culture is eroded away and lost

Opposition local tribe member

are arrested, beaten and disappear!

Source Information: Letter from a Dayak Girl

Bio-Green Corp Palm Oil Company

• Lots of oil gives us a big

profit

• The tribes people can

work for us and earn

money for once

• People can easily

move to other parts of

the forest

• Other parts of the forest

have just as many

animals and plants

Photo Credit: Rainforest Action Network

Source Information: Indonesian Investments

Chop-Chop Ltd. Local Logger Company

Job

Money

Would like to see more

trees planted to replace

those cut – to ensure a future job

Photo Credit: Wagner T. Cassimiro

Source Information: Forestry Legality Alliance

Save the Rainforests –Charity organization

• Loss of trees

• Loss of lots of animal

and plant species

• Loss of species not yet

discovered

• Loss of habitat for other

living things

• Loss of a carbon store

• Increased global

warming

Source Information: Indonesian Rainforest Foundation

Government Worker

• Lots of money

• Money will be put

into other projects

• Palm oil is an

important resource

• The economy will

improve

• We have protected

other forest areas to

try and save some species

Source Information: The Jakarta Post

Indonesia Tourist Board

• The rainforest are a vital

attraction for tourists

and are the reason

many people come to

Indonesia.

• Tourism helps the

economy, wildlife and

local people, everyone

is a winner!

• No one will want to visit

a palm oil plantation

Photo Credit: Luke Mackin

Source Information: Indonesian Investments

Scientists United

• Loss of knowledge

• Loss of many species, many

of which may be invaluable

to medical research

• Local tribes knowledge of

medicinal plants is lost

• Many people die away

from their homes in cities

• The Palm oil plantations

pollutes the water with

chemicals and fertilizers –

poisoning the people who

stayPhoto Caption: Maia Weinstock

Source Information: Rainforest Concerns

Conservation

How can rain forests be

developed sustainably?

What do we mean by sustainability?

Case Study:

MASARANG FOUNDATION

Nature conservation through collaboration with and development of the local population. That is the mission of Masarang, the Foundation in Indonesia, founded in 2001 by Dr. Willie Smits. Masarang finds solutions for the most urgent global problems of our time: deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change, poverty and underdevelopment.

How can rain forests be

developed sustainably?

Masarang is tackling these issues at their heart and works to find sustainable solutions which will work long-term.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

a) Conservation of Indonesia’s unique biodiversity

b) Conservation and restoration of Indonesia’s rainforests

c) Improved opportunities for local development

d) Sustainable use of agricultural and production methods by local people

How can rain forests be

developed sustainably?

Visit the Masarang

website

www.masarang.nl/en

You have ten minutes to find me 3 wow

facts about the work of Masarang!

Are these three things sustainable? If yes

why?

Masarang Solution

Think!

Discuss with your partner: What might be the difficulties in

developing this solution? How might this problems be solved?

Oil Palm vs. Sugar Palm

• Leading to carbon emissions

• Leading to deforestation

• 5 tonnes of biodiesel/ha/yr

• Monoculture

• Needs fertilizers/pesticides

• Soil depletion

• Watershed pollution

• Few and poor jobs

• Mechanization under way

• Many local people conflicts

• Carbon sequestration

• Protecting forests

• 19 tonnes of ethanol/ha/yr

• Mixed forest

• No fertilizers/pesticides

• Soil gets better

• Improved water supplies

• Many all year round jobs

• Non mechanizable

• Brings communities together

Masarang Foundation

Write a paragraph explaining why sugar palm oil is more

sustainable than palm oil?

Quiz – Quiz - Trade

• Write one Q and A based on what you have learnt – impacts of palm oil production, stakeholders, solutions

• Try not to make it too obvious!

• When I say – move around the room and pair up, taking it in turns to ask your question.

• If your partner doesn’t get it first time –give them two hints before telling them the answer.

• Then swap cards and move on