Ambiguous definition means oil-palm plantations will count as forest cover

NEW DELHI: The National Mission on Edible Oils- Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), approved by the Union Cabinet last week, will increase the area under oil palm cultivation by an additional area of 6.5 lakh hectare (ha) by 2025-26, bringing a total area of 10 lakh ha under oil palm plantations in the country -- and thanks to the current definition of forest, the plantations that studies have found lead to deforestation and loss of biodiversity, will be classified forests.

The Forest Survey of India defines forest cover thus: “All lands, more than 1 ha in area with a tree canopy density of 10% irrespective of ownership and legal status. Such lands may not necessarily be a recorded forest area. It also includes orchards, bamboo and palm.”

“If the oil palm plantations meet our definition of forests, they will be integrated in forest cover. There is no plan as on today to change or review our definition of forest cover,” said Pankaj Agarwal, director general, Forest Survey of India. The total forest and tree cover in the country as per FSI’S 2019 report is around 80.7 million ha (807276 sq km). There was an increase of 0.56% in forest cover and 1.26% in tree cover as compared to 2017 according to FSI.

Independent experts said fragile biodiversity rich areas like the North-east states and

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (both specifically named in last week’s cabinet note) will bear the brunt.

And the fear is that much like in other parts of the world (West Papua, a province of Indonesia is a case in point) , primary forests will be replaced with oil palm ones.

“Oil palm plantations are not being proposed on empty lands. They have to negotiate prevailing ownership or use rights,