French farmers protest palm oil but there is a different story behind the scenes!
French farmers who grow oilseed crops including sunflower and rapeseed are calling for nationwide protests at oil refineries over the approval of using palm oil at Total Energy’s refinery at La Mede. What may have inspired this action is the worry on the part of French farmers over the “influx of cheaper agricultural products” overall as reported by Agriculture.
Total S.A. had announced in 2015 that it would convert its money losing crude oil refinery at La Mede with its 150,000 bpd operations to produce renewable biodiesel instead.
The French government has since approved La Mede’s plans in May of this year to use a comprehensive mix of second generation oils from animal fats, used cooking oil as well as crude palm oil in addition to locally produced sunflower and rapeseed oils. Total Energy’s plans for feedstock was to include the use of crude palm oil but limited to 300,000 tonnes or less depending on the availability of other sources. This essentially means that if French grown sunflower or rapeseed was abundant enough to not create a shortage, say for food purposes, that Total would use less palm oil.
French farmers and NGOs however were quick to condemn the inclusion of palm oil as “unfair competition that defeats the purpose of biofuels.” There is some truth in this statement in that the palm oil crop with its superior yield to rapeseed and sunflower represents unfair competition. Added to the unfair competition is the lower costs of production due to lower costs of living in major palm oil producing countries like Malaysia, Indonesia or Colombia. It goes without saying that the palm oil farmers would love the same level of prices that French farmers get but the reality is that the government has an obligation to keep energy costs affordable while meeting its commitments to the Paris Accord.
France’s decision supports its new role as leader in climate change
Part of the French commitment is the approval of a ban on new explorations for fossil fuels after 2040 with a matching ban on the sale of fossil fuel powered vehicles in the same year. Biodiesel will have a large role to play in reducing transport emissions.
The French government is acknowledging this in spite of the on-going debates among EU members on the use of palm oil biofuel. It is equally important to know that France cannot produce enough to supply its need for food and fuel without threatening French biodiversity with a total collapse. As it is, on the consumption of sunflowers alone, France holds the dual positions of being the largest producer in the EU as well as the largest importer to make up for domestic shortfalls.
Palm oil benefits to French biodiversity and energy prices
Anti palm oil types may well mock the thought that palm oil is saving European biodiversity but the facts are undeniable. So is the fact that the lower costs of palm oil helps to lower the renewable energy costs to French citizens. These are important factors for a sustainable future for all because no government should support a renewable energy it cannot afford but more importantly, all biodiversity should be preserved even if it is only the birds and bees in France.
What of the environmental impact?
Scientific studies have shown that palm oil as a feedstock for energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions greatly if produced responsibly. Certification bodies for palm oil like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the ISCC have shown that it is possible to produce palm oil responsibly. Upcoming certification scheme for sustainable palm oil, the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil scheme (MSPO) is adopting those models to delink Malaysian palm oil from the allegations of deforestation.
As the CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) Dr. Kalyana Sundram puts it:
“Our opinion has always been that Malaysian palm oil is sustainable. In order to show this to the rest of the world, the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil scheme was created so that we can audit every ton of palm oil produced in Malaysia to show clearly, that it is sustainably produced.”
While the bottom line is to fight climate change with the use of biofuels, it has to start with an acknowledgement that this is a global problem that needs global solutions starting from protecting the livelihoods of French farmers to a balanced use of natural resources globally. Historically, violence and occupation has been used to secure the resources needed by developed countries to maintain their development but in the 21st century, the common goals should look at the needs of the French farmers to the needs of affordable food and energy for people in Paris all the way to the palm oil farmer in Malaysia as one community.
The French approval to use palm oil at La Mede is a good first step towards the one community approach but it should not be read as offering wide open market access for palm oil biofuels. The risk of importing deforestation remains very real with imported vegetable oils including soy and palm oil. The French government can and should insist that all supplies of vegetable oils including their own locally produced rapeseed and sunflower towards biofuels be certified.
French farmers who grow oilseed crops including sunflower and rapeseed are calling for nationwide protests at oil refineries over the approval of using palm oil at Total Energy’s refinery at La Mede. What may have inspired this action is the worry on the part of French farmers over the “influx of cheaper agricultural products” overall as reported by Agriculture.
Total S.A. had announced in 2015 that it would convert its money losing crude oil refinery at La Mede with its 150,000 bpd operations to produce renewable biodiesel instead.
The French government has since approved La Mede’s plans in May of this year to use a comprehensive mix of second generation oils from animal fats, used cooking oil as well as crude palm oil in addition to locally produced sunflower and rapeseed oils. Total Energy’s plans for feedstock was to include the use of crude palm oil but limited to 300,000 tonnes or less depending on the availability of other sources. This essentially means that if French grown sunflower or rapeseed was abundant enough to not create a shortage, say for food purposes, that Total would use less palm oil.
French farmers and NGOs however were quick to condemn the inclusion of palm oil as “unfair competition that defeats the purpose of biofuels.” There is some truth in this statement in that the palm oil crop with its superior yield to rapeseed and sunflower represents unfair competition. Added to the unfair competition is the lower costs of production due to lower costs of living in major palm oil producing countries like Malaysia, Indonesia or Colombia. It goes without saying that the palm oil farmers would love the same level of prices that French farmers get but the reality is that the government has an obligation to keep energy costs affordable while meeting its commitments to the Paris Accord.
France’s decision supports its new role as leader in climate change
Part of the French commitment is the approval of a ban on new explorations for fossil fuels after 2040 with a matching ban on the sale of fossil fuel powered vehicles in the same year. Biodiesel will have a large role to play in reducing transport emissions.
The French government is acknowledging this in spite of the on-going debates among EU members on the use of palm oil biofuel. It is equally important to know that France cannot produce enough to supply its need for food and fuel without threatening French biodiversity with a total collapse. As it is, on the consumption of sunflowers alone, France holds the dual positions of being the largest producer in the EU as well as the largest importer to make up for domestic shortfalls.
Palm oil benefits to French biodiversity and energy prices
Anti palm oil types may well mock the thought that palm oil is saving European biodiversity but the facts are undeniable. So is the fact that the lower costs of palm oil helps to lower the renewable energy costs to French citizens. These are important factors for a sustainable future for all because no government should support a renewable energy it cannot afford but more importantly, all biodiversity should be preserved even if it is only the birds and bees in France.
What of the environmental impact?
Scientific studies have shown that palm oil as a feedstock for energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions greatly if produced responsibly. Certification bodies for palm oil like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the ISCC have shown that it is possible to produce palm oil responsibly. Upcoming certification scheme for sustainable palm oil, the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil scheme (MSPO) is adopting those models to delink Malaysian palm oil from the allegations of deforestation.
As the CEO of the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) Dr. Kalyana Sundram puts it:
“Our opinion has always been that Malaysian palm oil is sustainable. In order to show this to the rest of the world, the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil scheme was created so that we can audit every ton of palm oil produced in Malaysia to show clearly, that it is sustainably produced.”
While the bottom line is to fight climate change with the use of biofuels, it has to start with an acknowledgement that this is a global problem that needs global solutions starting from protecting the livelihoods of French farmers to a balanced use of natural resources globally. Historically, violence and occupation has been used to secure the resources needed by developed countries to maintain their development but in the 21st century, the common goals should look at the needs of the French farmers to the needs of affordable food and energy for people in Paris all the way to the palm oil farmer in Malaysia as one community.
The French approval to use palm oil at La Mede is a good first step towards the one community approach but it should not be read as offering wide open market access for palm oil biofuels. The risk of importing deforestation remains very real with imported vegetable oils including soy and palm oil. The French government can and should insist that all supplies of vegetable oils including their own locally produced rapeseed and sunflower towards biofuels be certified.