Impacts Of Palm Oil Industry In Sri Lanka

Abstract

The evolution of renewable energy over the past and recent decade is the huge turning point of humans. This tendency has been occurring due to increasing of fossil fuel pricing, rising demand for energy and scarcity of non-renewable sources. Biomass is the primary eco-friendly renewable resource in all over the world. One of the significant biomass resources is palm oil. Palm oil industry currently occupies the topmost position in the international vegetable oil market. This paper reviews the development of the palm oil industry within the analyses associated with environmental and social impacts and also evaluating existing palm oil sustainability initiations in Sri Lanka. We selected one plantation and agriculture study site in Sri Lanka to show evidence of the impacts. This research article findings and indicating that the development of palm oil cultivation has been caused significant environmental impact such as deforestation, resulting in significant impacts for water pollution, noise pollution, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, GHG emissions and also air pollution. In terms of social impact, there having some part of adverse effect to many groups like employees, suppliers, shareholders, investors, landholders, and ordinary people as well. However, we found that not only impacts but also has many benefits to those parties as well. In this article, we also try to introduce and suggest to prevent environmental pollution and reduce it.