What would the proposed large-scale cultivation of oil palm mean to India’s ecology and economy?

Palm oil is cheap, versatile and mostly imported. Now, the government has an ambitious plan for the large-scale production of this crop

In his Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister announced a scheme to support the growth of palm oil in India. Three days later, the Cabinet approved a ₹11,040 crore outlay over five years for the National Mission on Edible Oils — Oil Palm, based on the argument that India needs to reduce its dependence on importing edible oils. Since then, there has been much discussion on whether this is good for the environment or not. The discussion has largely been framed within the rubric of ‘environment versus development’, and many valuable details are being ignored to the detriment of a logical discourse.

There is nothing new about palm oil. As Jonathan Robins explains in his book, Oil Palm: A Global History, the plant was cultivated in western Africa and reached global markets with the Atlantic slave trade five centuries ago. Slaves used it for much-needed nutrition and to ease the pain from bruises accumulated during the punishing journey. Slave traders used it to add a gloss on the skin of the people they were selling into bondage to command a higher price. As its efficacy was discovered by European nations, it transformed from a luxury product into a cheaper replacement for things such as tallow in soaps and as a cooking oil.