EUDR palm oil waste in agriculture - overview
- EUDR now excludes palm oil waste products from due diligence
- Palm oil production generates fronds, trunks, POME and empty branches
- Empty fruit branches can become biochar, compost and fertilisers
- Palm waste supports soil health, crop yields and animal feed
- Exemption could simplify trade and expand agricultural waste applications
A further round of changes has been announced to the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), with more products excluded from its scope. Among these products are leather and palm oil waste.
While leather is not relevant to food, palm oil waste may be. In Europe, it is often used in biofuels, explains a spokesperson for the organisation Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Yet its potential goes beyond this and it may have uses in agriculture.
What waste does palm oil produce?
The production of palm oil leaves a substantial amount of waste, in the form of empty fruit branches, trunks, fronds and palm oil mill effluent (POME).
Some of these forms of waste are generated in greater volumes than palm oil itself. For example, for every ton of palm oil produced, 1.1 tons of empty fruit branches are generated, according to Imperial College London.
Disposing of such waste is not always easy. If not properly managed, palm oil waste can have a significant environmental impact; for example, incinerating empty fruit branches can lead to environmental pollution, whilst discarding them simply generates methane.
But it does not have to be this way.
Palm oil waste and agriculture
Despite its name, palm oil waste does not have to, well, go to waste. Waste products from palm oil can instead be used extensively in agriculture.
Once palm oil is extracted, the empty fruit branches can be used in regenerative and organic agriculture, explains the RSPO spokesperson.
For example, empty fruit branches from palm oil can be converted into biochar. This can be used as a soil amendment (which can improve the quality of the soil and boost yields).
Both POME and empty fruit branches can be converted into fertilisers, boosting yields and improving soil health, according to a study in the journal Frontiers. Empty fruit branches are rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.
Both can be integrated into composting processes, with the resulting compost improving soil structure and nutrient availability. Oil palm trunks can also be composted, improving soil fertility.
Oil palm fronds, meanwhile, are suitable for animal feed, given their composition of 70% fibre and 22% soluble carbohydrates, according to the Frontiers study.
“Regenerating waste products not only benefits the environment and helps mitigate climate change, but also provides cost-saving measures and income generation for growers and smallholders,” says the RSPO spokesperson.
No wasted potential
With palm oil waste excluded from the scope of the EUDR, these waste products will not have to go through the same extensive due diligence as palm oil itself.
Therefore, palm oil waste can be traded without the stringent obligations that the EUDR puts on the shoulders of those who comply with it.
This bodes well for the world’s agrifood companies.
