Macauba as a Palm Oil Alternative: That’s What’s Behind It

Plus points for the Macauba

Whether the Macauba really is a good alternative to the conventional oil palm is a controversial point, although the plant itself has advantages at first glance. An alternative to oil palm is sorely needed since palm oil is already contained in about every second product in the supermarket.

• The great advantage of the Macauba or Acrocomia palm is that it grows on soil that is poorer in nutrients than the conventional oil palm.
• This means that it grows in cooler areas and therefore allows growing areas in regions other than the rainforest, which would decrease rainforest clearance.
• The clearing is not only catastrophic for the climate, but also for the flora and fauna and indigenous peoples who live in the rainforest.
• Also, the Macauba does not consume as much soil as the conventional oil palm. This would make it possible to continue to cultivate the area after the trees have died down. Oil palms exhaust the soil so much that almost nothing else can grow afterward.
• In contrast to the oil palm, the Macauba bears fruit for around 20 years, while the conventional oil palm only manages to do so for 5 years.

Arguments against the Macauba

Although time is running out to find a good alternative to the oil palm, unfortunately, the Macauba is not free from disadvantages either. Despite the advantages it has over oil palm, there are also some issues seen with Macauba as problematic. The development of the plant as a new raw material supplier is still in its infancy.

• The actual problem of clearing and plantations would only shift: because plantations are still necessary and the cultivation areas must also be created for them.
• The oil palm is so popular because it grows quickly and yields a lot of oil during this time. Nevertheless, the demand in the world is constantly increasing, and with it the area of ​​cultivation areas. The Macauba has similar oil yields but has the disadvantage of growing much more slowly than its cousin.
• In 2014, however, the growth problem changed because researchers from Paraguay managed to get the plant to grow faster with growth promoters.
• Nevertheless, initial investments are needed to rededicate the old plantations. After all, completely new palm trees would have to be planted and the loss of profits from the plantations would have to be covered for years.
• It also has to be tested to what extent Macauba oil can really serve as a substitute since the chemical composition has not yet been clarified.
• If the oil is too different from palm oil, it could be difficult to persuade corporations to switch to Macauba oil, as a whole range of formulations would have to be remade.

Conclusion

So you see, the Macauba is a good approach, but it still needs to be developed. If you want to support climate protection, pay attention to palm oil as an ingredient when buying and avoid these products. It is often present in foods and cosmetics.