Does coconut oil production pose a greater environmental threat than palm oil?

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Coconut Oil's Environmental Threat Compared to Palm Oil

A study published in Current Biology suggests that coconut cultivation poses a greater threat to species per unit of oil produced than palm oil. The research indicated that coconut cultivation threatens 18.6 species per million tonnes of oil, a figure nearly five times higher than that attributed to palm oil. However, this finding has been met with skepticism from industry bodies, particularly given the lead author's past affiliations with the palm oil sector.
Study's Species Threat Metric

The research by Erik Meijaard, who has previously worked for a global palm oil sustainability body and an Indonesian palm company, highlighted potential species loss linked to coconut cultivation. One example cited was the extinction of the Solomon Islands’ Ontong Java flying fox, which the study directly associated with coconut farming. Other species listed as threatened due to this cultivation included the Balabac mouse-deer, endemic to specific Philippine islands.
Industry Counterarguments on Scale and Impact

Despite the study's findings on a per-tonne basis, industry representatives and organizations like the International Coconut Community (ICC) argue that palm oil presents a more significant overall environmental threat due to its vastly larger scale of production. Indonesia, a major producer of both commodities, is the world's largest palm oil grower and second-largest coconut producer. Globally, palm oil production stands at approximately 75 million tonnes over 20 million hectares, dwarfing coconut oil production of about 2.91 million tonnes across 12.01 million hectares. The ICC contends that when considering the entire area cultivated and the total volume of oil produced, oil palm is more than three times as threatening as coconut.
Context of Production Volumes and Market Value

The economic scale of palm oil production further contextualizes the debate. Global palm oil sales reached about US$43 billion last year, whereas coconut oil sales were around US$2.72 billion. This disparity in market value and production volume suggests that the broader environmental footprint of palm oil, even if less per tonne, could be substantially larger in absolute terms. Experts note that the production of both crops can be destructive if it encroaches on forests, peatlands, or areas of high conservation value, with the sheer volume of palm oil production leading to a greater overall impact.

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Does coconut oil production pose a greater environmental threat than palm oil?

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