Team:Manchester/economytest2

From 2013.igem.org

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             <p>Palm oil is used in hundreds of products. It is likely that you have either consumed or used a product today containing palm oil or its constituents, but we, as consumers, rarely think about it or where it comes from. The truth behind its current method of production is devastating.
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             <p>Our project has the potential to cause detrimental economic effects to those individuals who rely on the naturally grown palm oil for contributing to household income.</p><br>
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<ul><li>The palm oil industry in Malaysia and Indonesia are of great significance. In Malaysia alone 25.24billion USD was gained through the exporting of palm oil and related products to foreign countries in 2011<sup>[1]</sup></li><br>
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<li>The palm oil industry and its subsidiaries provide considerable amounts of employment in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia for instance 2.26 million people are involved, either directly or indirectly, in the palm oil industry<sup>[2]</sup>. A further 14 million individuals are involved with this industry in Indonesia<sup>[3]</sup>.</li></ul></p>
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Currently:
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<p>With the introduction of a synthetic alternative to organic palm oil, we fear that there will be no need for plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia to go on existing and producing palm oil. Thus, potentially, forcing millions into unemployment. </p>
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<ul><li>300 football fields an hour are being chopped down every hour in Indonesia and Malaysia to make room for oil palm plantations[1]</li><br>
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<li>This mass deforestation is resulting in a massive decline in many critically endangered organisms, such as the sumatran orangutan (link to model here?)[2]</li><br>
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<li>Rare flora, much of which is yet to have been researched and is found only within these rainforests, is being destroyed and lost forever[3]</li><br>
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<li><i>People</i> live in the rainforests that are being bulldozed, their homes completely eradicated because of the palm oil industry[4]</li><br>
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<li>Rainforests act as a colossal carbon sink and are often growing atop peatlands - uprooting or burning these trees releases a huge amount of CO2 into the atmosphere (resulting in deforestation related to the palm oil industry accounting for more global warming than every vehicle on earth combined)[5]</li></ul><br>
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So yes, the problems arising as a direct result of the palm oil industry <i>are</i> a big deal.<br>
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<p><b>References</b></p>
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[1] http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil<br>
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[1] http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0425-oil_palm.html<br>
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[2] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/28/sumatran-orangutans-dying-indonesia-forest-fire<br>
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[2] http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil<br>
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[3] http://www.indonesianrainforest.org/indonesian-rainforest/rainforest-medicinal-plants/<br>
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[3] http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/apr/12/synthetic-malaria-compound-artemisia-farmers
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[4] http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/news/3891/indonesia-victims-of-the-palm-oil-industry<br>
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[5] http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/forest_solutions/palm-oil-and-forests.html</p>
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Revision as of 15:38, 1 October 2013

page

Top

Safety

When doing the initial research for our synthetic alternative to palm oil components, we quickly came across lots of information regarding the current palm oil industry. It soon became apparent that the economies of some countries, for example Indonesia and Malaysia, depend almost entirely upon the current methods of palm oil production. Therefore we compiled an impact analysis report for synthetic palm oil, which can be found by clicking on the button to the right.

Synthetic Palm Oil Is Not All Good News

Our project has the potential to cause detrimental economic effects to those individuals who rely on the naturally grown palm oil for contributing to household income.


  • The palm oil industry in Malaysia and Indonesia are of great significance. In Malaysia alone 25.24billion USD was gained through the exporting of palm oil and related products to foreign countries in 2011[1]

  • The palm oil industry and its subsidiaries provide considerable amounts of employment in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia for instance 2.26 million people are involved, either directly or indirectly, in the palm oil industry[2]. A further 14 million individuals are involved with this industry in Indonesia[3].


With the introduction of a synthetic alternative to organic palm oil, we fear that there will be no need for plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia to go on existing and producing palm oil. Thus, potentially, forcing millions into unemployment.


References

[1] http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0425-oil_palm.html
[2] http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil
[3] http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/apr/12/synthetic-malaria-compound-artemisia-farmers
HUMAN PRACTICES
PUBLIC OUTREACH
SCIENCE STARS
OPEN DAY
ETHICS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ECONOMIC IMPACT
IMPACT MANAGEMENT
CONCLUSION
BUSINESS PLAN
KNOWLEDGE DEFICIT ASSUMPTION
CONFERENCES AND DISCUSSIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA
An Economist's Point Of View
Synthetic Palm Oil Is Not All Good News
Will Business Ever Be The Same For Oil Palm Growers?
Palm Oil Is Not The Only Industry That Will Be Impacted

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