Palm oil plantations and deforestation in Guatemala: Certifying

Palm oil is the world’s most consumed vegetable oil, but producing it has caused deforestation and biodiversity loss across Southeast Asia and elsewhere, including Central America. Efforts to curtail the damage have largely focused on voluntary environmental certification programs that label qualifying palm-oil sources as “sustainable.” However, those certification programs have been criticized by environmental groups as greenwashing tools that enable multinational corporations to claim fully sustainable palm oil while continuing to sell products that fall far short of the deforestation-free goal. Findings from a new University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability-led study support some of the critics’ claims—and go much further.

Expansion of Oil Palm Plantations as State Policy in Central America

Better sourcing of palm

Dept. of Bioresource Engineering

Eurasia Review – Page 76 – Eurasia Review

Palm Oil Transformed: Creating a more sustainable & inclusive sector in Central America & Mexico - Solidaridad Network

Palm oil deforestation in Guatemala: Certifying products as 'sustainable' is no panacea: University of Michigan – Palm Oil Detectives

Latin American Palm Oil Linked to Social Risks, Local Deforestation - Chain Reaction Research

Palm Oil Union of Concerned Scientists

Palm oil giants push out smallholders in Guatemala; deforestation risks remain