
Department Seminar: Mody Lacour
Title: Sustainable commodity trade: The case of palm oil in Africa
Abstract: Palm oil is an important commodity contributing to the livelihoods of many communities, GDP of governments and the achievement of several sustainable development goals. However, its cultivation and continuous expansion due to high and increasing global demand have led to many negative effects and subsequent calls to make production sustainable. Sustainability in palm oil trade entails having a global supply chain based on environmentally friendly and socially acceptable production and sourcing. Much has been done in understanding and responding to impacts on the environment but not so much on social and economic impacts. My presentation will focus on the complexities of ensuring sustainable palm oil production in Cameroon including:
• Socio-economic impacts of palm oil trade
• Micro and small-scale palm oil processing
• Financial viability of investing in palm oil production
• Contribution of forests to local livelihoods.
• EU due diligence and RSPO certification