Babassu palm gets blame for Amazonian deforestation

In Brazil, it’s no longer sugarcane that is being blamed for deforestation in the Amazon but instead the commercialization of a traditional tree called the babassu palm. There are more than 400,000 women and their families who have traditionally processed the palm for oil, soaps, flour and animal feed but now Tecbio based in Fortaleza has developed industrial processing that would replace the traditional workers while producing 80 liters of ethanol per ton of coconut.

As areas become deforested due to soy expansion, more area opens up for the babassu palm meaning more opportunities for ethanol, and more competition for palm with the traditional harvesters.