Oil Palm Cultivation and Its Environmental Consequences

Oil palm is the major vegetable oil-producing crop in the world. Oil produced per unit of land area is much higher in oil palm than other oil-producing crops. Therefore, oil palm is one of the world's most significant and vital crops. The major oil palm producers are Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, which are in the ASEAN region. Oil palm contributes to a major share of these countries' GDP and assists in achieving food security and alleviating poverty of these countries. Further, palm oil and its derivatives are a major ingredient in the halal food industry. However, there is debate on the environmental consequences of extensive oil palm expansion. In this book, we are pleased to summarize valuable findings of different researchers on oil palm cultivation and its environmental impacts. This book is organized into two sections: the first section covers details on oil palm cultivation, while the second section highlights the environmental consequences of oil palm. This book intends to summarize most of the environmental impacts created due to oil palm expansion, which can be explored to find remedies.

PROF DR MOHAMED NAJIM MOHAMED MUJITHABA is a Professor in Agritechnology at Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA). He graduated with a Ph.D. in Water Resources Engineering from University Putra Malaysia. He received a M.Eng. in Irrigation Engineering and Management from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and B.Sc. Honors in Agriculture from University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka. He has worked as an academician in many universities in Sri Lanka from 1995 before joining UNISSA. He is a member of Institute of Biology (MI Biol) Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Association of Agricultural Professionals (MSLIAg). He received many prestigious awards. He has published extensively in his research area and serves as an editorial board member of several journals. His research interest includes broader areas of water resources management and environmental management.

DR SYAHIRAH BINTI HAJI SHAHLEHI is a lecturer at Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA). She graduated with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and BHSc in Biomedical Science from the same university. Her PhD research is focusing on a local medicinal plant, Sambung nyawa as a source of drug for high blood pressure treatment. She previously worked as a Research Assistant in UBD for a year conducting more research on herbal plants for drug discovery before joining UNISSA in 2022. Her research interests include medicinal plants phytochemistry, medicinal plants pharmacology and toxicology, drug discovery on natural products, C. elegans for human disease research, agriculture and food security as well as agrobiomedical science.

DR NUR THAQIFAH SALIHAH BINTI HJ MOHD SALLEH is a lecturer at Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA). She received her doctorate in Chemistry from Universiti Brunei Darussalam with focus on DNA detection. She graduated from University of East Anglia, United Kingdom with integrated Master of Chemistry in Forensic and Investigative Chemistry. Her area of interest and expertise is in DNA detection with focus on foodborne and agricultural pathogens as well as species identifications for Halal, food safety and biosecurity purposes.

Dr. HASSAN AMMOUNEH is an Assistant Professor in Agrotechnology at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA). Dr. Ammouneh graduated with a Ph.D. in molecular microbiology from the University of London (Imperial College London) and an MSc in Plant Biotechnology from the University of London (Wye College). He received a Postgraduate Diploma in Plant Protection and a BSc in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Aleppo, Syria. He has worked for more than 20 years in several public and private institutions, including the Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Arab International University, Wuhan Institute of Virology, EKOSMART, and Tech 4 Balanced Life Company in Turkey. His research interests include broader areas of biotechnology, developing novel bioproducts, and organic waste management. ISBN 978-99984-51-41-4 / 9789998 451414