Palm Oil Developments No.54 (June 2011) p8-13, 18

The Potential of Oil Palm in the Global Carbon Cycle

KHO Lip Khoon *, COBB, Alex ** , MOHD HANIFF Harun *

Malaysia is one of the largest producers and exporters of palm oil in the world, accounting for 38% of the major producers and 46% of major exporters in 2009 (Oil World, 2010). The phenomenal growth of palm oil and palm oil products increased the total oil palm planted area in the country by 3.4% to 4.85 million hectares in 2010 (MPOB, 2010). Oil palm plantation covers one-tenth of the world’s permanent croplands (FAO, 2010), and will have a significant role in the global carbon balance. Depending on the environmental and physiological factors of specific sites, oil palm plantation may contribute to carbon uptake (see Henson, 1999 for review) or carbon emission (Melling, 2007a, Yule, 2010, Koh et al., 2011, Hergoualc’h and Verchot, 2011).



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