Publisher's Synopsis
The overarching goal of writing this book is simple: write an easy-to-read, accessible, text on palm oil, using easily understandable language without losing sight of the essentials. The structure of the book fulfills that objective to the letter. If you have keen interest in vegetable oil dynamics, palm oil being the most important to Indonesian economy, this is surely a must-read for you and perhaps your students (academics) and colleagues (practitioners in commodity trading, regulators). For students of estate crops, the comprehensive treatment of the most important vegetable crop in Indonesia, makes this book an invaluable possession. While for economic historians, the book is an all-in, saving you time and bucks to all around for a three or so texts to both whet and fill your appetite. And for those international trade enthusiasts, adding this book to your collections, is more than worth the cost you pay for it at the store. The list is not exhaustive to save space but other include policy makers, anthropologists, agronomists, political economists, and Oilseeds consultants, teachers and students of plantation agriculture, NGOs working on the relationship between estates crop farming and societal well-being, and policy makers at the national and sub national government level, and international development agencies.The book begins with a general outlook on oil palm and palm oil products, and the contribution of the palm oil industry to the Indonesian economy, following by chapter two that hammers down on the relevancy of palm oil to Indonesian economy. Chapter Three tackles the political economy background, which to a large extent has shaped the dynamics on public policy and socio-economy and to a certain extent politics that relates to palm oil development. Chapter four tackles the supply dynamics and development that influence CPO. Meanwhile, Chapter five presents a detailed account of drivers and determinants of palm oil of demand in general and Indonesia domestic economy in particular, which is followed by Chapter Six that dives into the dynamics and developments of the Indonesian palm oil market. Meanwhile, Chapter Seven takes a look at the opportunities and challenges of Indonesian palm oil market, while Chapter Eight tackles Indonesian palm oil trade, and underscores the impact that the globalization wave has had on CPO industry, emphasis being placed on WTO protocols and how they apply to CPO trade. The importance of China and India to Indonesia's CPO exports induces a discussion on the prospects and potential problems surrounding CPO trade. Chapter Nine delves into the palm oil -climate change nexus, highlighting the issues at stake, and policy initiatives that can make palm oil sector environment friendly and sustainable. Chapter Ten discusses palm oil and food security nexus, connecting the links between oil palm production, forest degradation, poverty aggravation, and worsening food insecurity. Chapter Eleven tackles the role of smallholder growers in palm oil production focusing on opportunities and challenges they face and how to mitigate and where possible alleviate them. Chapter Twelve looks at renewable energy developments in general and the increasing role that biodiesel is playing in particular. Chapter Thirteen, looks at the prospects, obstacles, and recommended future course of action that are considered favorable for creating sustainable palm oil sector in Indonesia, setting the stage for the last chapter, Chapter Fourteen, which navigates palm oil value added enhancement and production expansion debate.
