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Squeaky clean

Release Date: 07/25/2022

Palm Oil Frontiers

In the third and final episode of China Dialogue's podcast series, Palm Oil Frontiers, Gayathri Vaidyanathan takes to the streets of Chennai in southern India to find out how much people know about palm oil. India is the world’s largest importer of palm oil, and the second largest consumer after Indonesia. The commodity is widely used as a cooking oil in restaurants (especially at the street- and fast-food end of the industry) and low-income households, as well as in the production of processed foods. Despite its prevalence, however, many people in India are unaware of its presence,...

Squeaky clean

Palm Oil Frontiers

In episode two of China Dialogue's podcast series, Palm Oil Frontiers, Lise Josefsen Hermann visits Manabí province in Ecuador to find out if it’s really possible to produce palm oil sustainably. The narrative around palm oil has long been extremely negative. For many, the commodity is inextricably connected with deforestation and habitat destruction, especially in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. It is however an incredibly useful and efficient oil crop. As such, most involved in the oil palm sector argue that we shouldn’t be trying to get rid of it, but rather to find ways to...

The mothers of Malen

Palm Oil Frontiers

In episode one of China Dialogue's new podcast series, Palm Oil Frontiers, Abdul Brima visits Malen Chiefdom in Sierra Leone to find out how an industrial-scale oil palm plantation is impacting the lives of local women. The oil palm is native to West Africa, where it continues to play a vital role in food security and local economies. Palm oil is especially important for women in the region, many of whom earn a much-needed boost to their incomes by selling oil produced from their own fruit – money they use to raise their children. But in Malen Chiefdom in the southern part of Sierra Leone,...

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In episode two of China Dialogue's podcast series, Palm Oil Frontiers, Lise Josefsen Hermann visits Manabí province in Ecuador to find out if it’s really possible to produce palm oil sustainably.

The narrative around palm oil has long been extremely negative. For many, the commodity is inextricably connected with deforestation and habitat destruction, especially in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. It is however an incredibly useful and efficient oil crop. As such, most involved in the oil palm sector argue that we shouldn’t be trying to get rid of it, but rather to find ways to grow it sustainably. Leading the way in this effort is the Netherlands-based company Natural Habitats, set up in 2009 with the aim of proving that palm oil can be produced in a manner that helps rather than harms the environment, and also benefits local communities. The company started its work in Ecuador where it currently has 79 small-scale suppliers, all of whom it has helped gain certification under a wide range of organic and sustainable standards. It’s an inspiring initiative, but is Natural Habitats doing everything it says it’s doing? And can such a small company set an example that the rest of the industry can realistically follow?

For more, see the show notes: https://dialogue.earth/en/food/palm-oil-frontiers-squeaky-clean/

Credits:

Producer and host: Lise Josefsen Hermann

Commissioning editor: Lizi Hesling

Sound design: Alyssa Moxley

Art work: Nahal Sheikh

Interview dubs: Joe Coroneo-Seaman, Charlie Goodson, Lizi Hesling

Thanks to: Blanca Moncada, Josie Phillips, Jessica Aldred

Music:

“Morning Glare” by Blue Dot Sessions
Source: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/123520 Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

“Our Only Lark” by Blue Dot Sessions
Source: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/123521
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

“Pacific Time” by Blue Dot Sessions
Source: https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/123522
Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/