Brazil Palm Oil Industry Plans Big Growth Over Next 10 Years

Brazil's palm oil industry says it could grow much bigger over the next 10 years. Industry leaders believe the country can increase its palm planting area from 280,000 hectares to 1 million hectares.

The growth is expected to come from the rising need for biofuels. Palm oil can be used to make cleaner fuels, including fuel for airplanes. More companies are looking for low carbon energy as the world works to lower pollution.

Industry leaders say new palm trees will only be planted on land that was cleared before 2008. They say this will help stop new forest loss in the Amazon. They also believe it can help bring back plant life on older cleared land.

Small farmers will play an important part in the plan. They can get low cost loans and long term deals to sell their crops. This can give them a steady income and help local communities.

Brazil also says it has a system to track where palm oil comes from. This helps show that the oil is not linked to new deforestation.

Industry leaders say more government support and long term funding will help the plan succeed. They believe the growth can create jobs, support farmers and provide more sustainable palm oil for the world.