8. Conclusion

International donors and NGOs agree that oil palm cultivation has an essential role to play in eradicating poverty in tropical countries, and in contributing to the United Nations' sustainable development goals. In less than a century, this crop has gone from being a food crop in Africa to one of the world's major agricultural products. This spectacular evolution has profoundly altered landscapes and the lives of populations in the tropics. Driven by global demand and the desire for development in emerging and less advanced countries, the trend is unlikely to be reversed.

The growing importance of public policies, both in Europe and in oil-producing countries, will influence the development of palm oil. In Europe, palm oil is the only biofuel classified as high-risk in terms of land-use change, and will therefore be gradually replaced by 2030, in line with the European...