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Every May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated – a global call to rethink our relationship with nature. This year’s theme, Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development, urges us to move beyond outdated paradigms: must development and the environment always be in conflict? Or can we envision a future where agriculture and ecosystem protection go hand in hand?

In a context marked by climate crisis, declining raw material productivity, geopolitical tensions, and growing risks to food security, palm oil – often at the center of heated debate – offers some surprising perspectives. New research and more sustainable agricultural practices show that biodiversity and cultivation can not only coexist but actually strengthen each other.

BIODIVERSITY IN PLANTATIONS

According to the report Exploring the Future of Vegetable Oils, recently published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with contributions from renowned biologist Erik Meijaard, the key factor is not the crop itself, but how it is managed. Where mindful farming techniques are applied – such as conserving fragmented habitats, promoting ecological connectivity, or implementing controlled grazing – plantations become true ecological mosaics. Birds, pollinators, and small mammals not only survive, but thrive.

In the undergrowth of some plantations, up to 298 plant species have been recorded, and 16 species of ferns grow on the trunks of the palm trees. In parts of Malaysian Borneo, surveys have identified 22 species of mammals and 31 species of birds – an outcome unimaginable in many conventional farming systems.

AGROFORESTRY AND INNOVATION

Increasingly, agricultural models are emerging that integrate production with environmental regeneration. Agroforestry with palm oil is one of these. In Brazil (Pará) and Indonesia (Jambi), projects like SAF Dendê demonstrate that it is possible to increase yields while enriching biodiversity. The numbers speak for themselves: up to 180 kg of fruit per plant after 11 years, compared to 139 kg in conventional plantations.

But it’s not just about productivity. In Indonesia, the introduction of “tree islands” within plantations has doubled ecosystem functionality and increased biological diversity by 50%.

GUATEMALA: A SUSTAINABILITY LAB

In Guatemala, the palm oil sector is also standing out for adopting innovative agroecological practices. The introduction of nectar-producing plants has supported pollinators and natural predators, reducing pesticide use and strengthening ecological balance. A concrete example of more efficient and environmentally respectful agriculture.

The Guatemalan model goes further: zero deforestation, full recovery of wastewater for fertigation, and active conservation of over 11,900 hectares of forest monitored by satellite technology. A circular approach that combines environmental protection and innovation.

CULTIVATING BIODIVERSITY

Sustainable palm oil shows that agriculture and conservation can go hand in hand. It is no longer a question of choosing between biodiversity and development, but of building integrated, resilient, and shared agricultural systems. The key lies in active landscape management, the adoption of agroecological practices, and collaboration between businesses, institutions, and local communities.

On this International Day for Biological Diversity, the message is clear: cultivating harmony with nature is not only possible. It is necessary.

Read Palm oil and the planet: how Guatemala cultivates biodiversity through agroecological solutions>>>