Oil palm is the second largest crop in Ecuador´s rainforest after cocoa. However, it is not clear how much territory palm crops cover. While the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock estimates that in 2022, 36,748 hectares were used for palm cultivation—most in the province of Sucumbios (25,203 hectares) and the rest in the Orellana province (11,545 hectares)—the MapBiomas platform registered 121,049 hectares in both provinces in the same year.
Only 17% of oil palm plantations have an environmental license or operating registration. Crops continue to grow unregulated in the Yasuní National Park and the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. In 2016, the Siekopai communities living in the province of Sucumbíos—on the border with Peru—authorized the planting 15 hectares of palm per family to avoid conflicts between those who welcomed the arrival of this crop and those who opposed it.
The Remolino community still opposes the presence of palm crops in their territory because they fear its cultural and environmental impact. For this reason, members of this community promote activities such as reforestation, tourism, and ceramic art to show that there are other viable economic options.
This story was produced with support from Internews' Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in Mongabay Latam on July 9, 2024. It has been translated to English and lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: Palm oil is the second largest crop, after cocoa, in the northern Amazon of Ecuador. / Credit: Enrique Avilés.
Isabel Alarcon
