Sri Lanka government has taken measures to prohibit oil palm cultivation on a directive issued by President Maithripala Sirisena considering its threat environmental sustainability in the island, Presidential secretariat official said.
This decision has been taken in consultation with the National Economic Commission, he added.
Palm oil has gained notoriety for its links to tropical deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, disturbance of carbon-rich peatland, exploitation of workers and land grabs, environmentalists said.
There is growing opposition to palm oil cultivation in some districts with non-governmental organizations and political parties getting involved in protests, claiming that the environment was being harmed by oil palm.
Plantation Minister Naveen Dissanayake said some protestors were being driven by political objectives but there were also others who were genuinely concerned others emotional without relying on scientific evidence.
"So much of the criticism is unscientific and emotional," Minister Dissanayake said. "Sinhalese and Tamil people tend to emotional." Officials said even earth slips are being blamed on oil palm by critics. However oil palm had been cultivated since the 1960s in Sri Lanka but the opposition gained momentum recently, officials said.
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