Seminar
The rapid expansion of oil palm plantations across Southeast Asia is triggering equally rapid environmental, economic and social transformations. As the size of plantations is doubling nearly every decade, rural Southeast Asia is facing considerable challenges: not only do countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia face an uphill struggle to protect remaining forests, but they are also confronted with widespread land conflicts, appalling labour conditions and a rapidly changing rural economies. While there are considerable concerns about the negative impacts of oil palm expansion, increased political sensitivities concerning these issues are preventing a dispassionate debate about facts on the ground. To facilitate such a debate, this KITLV lunch seminar brings together some of the leading researchers on palm oil expansion in Europe. They will provide a short overview of findings of three recent research projects and discuss their implications for policy makers and development agencies.
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