Balancing growth and ecology: The debate on oil palm cultivation in North-East
Oil palm cultivation can be viable in specific plains and low slope areas (less than 20 per cent gradient) with assured water availability
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Environmental groups and some scientists have voiced concerns about the potential ecological impacts of expanding oil palm cultivation in India’s North-Eastern states. These concerns are not unfounded if expansion occurs in an unplanned or unregulated manner. It could pose real threats to the region’s fragile ecosystems.
However, the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) clearly prohibits the conversion of forest land, including high conservation and high carbon value areas, for oil palm plantations. Instead, the Mission encourages cultivation through crop conversion, replacing low-yield, low-income crops or utilising fallow and jhum (shifting cultivation) lands. This approach aims to provide sustainable income for smallholders, reduce jhum cycles, aid forest regeneration, and generate local employment and infrastructure.
Introducing oil palm responsibly can offer assured returns to farmers and promote a balance between agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.
Understanding the context
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 by the Forest Survey of India, the decline in forest cover across the North-East is primarily linked to shortened jhum cycles, agricultural expansion, and biotic pressures. A substantial body of spatial and ecological research ties much of the deforestation in the region to these shifting cultivation practices rather than plantation activities.
Deforestation and habitat loss can be effectively managed through proper land-use planning and regulatory mechanisms. Likewise, soil degradation and water conservation can be addressed with sound agronomic practices under inclusive models like “Grow Oil Palm, Grow with Oil Palm” promoted by the NMEO-OP.
Facts and realities
In the N-E regions, the total Forest and tree cover area as a percentage of geographical area is around 67 per cent as per India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 report published by Forest Survey of India (FSI), similarly the total agricultural land (including fallow) as a percentage of the land area is 22.2 per cent and whereas total Oil Palm area as a percentage of land area is less than 0.1%. These numbers speak themselves. At present, the total area under oil palm cultivation in the North-East is only 35,000–40,000 hectares on paper, minuscule when compared to the reported forest loss in the region. Even this figure is a fraction of the 9,62,000 hectares identified as a potential area under NMEO-OP in the N-E. The apprehensions and voice talk of environmentalists, therefore, seem to stem more from concerns about future risks if safeguards are not strictly enforced.
Claims that oil palm cultivation has already caused large-scale deforestation in the region are not supported by area-based data. Much of this criticism appears to be theoretical rather than evidence-based. Nonetheless, without proper management, future expansion could indeed become a driver of forest loss, as seen in Malaysia and Indonesia.
The way forward
Oil palm cultivation can be viable in specific plains and low slope areas (less than 20 per cent gradient) with assured water availability. Site-specific planning, ecological screening, and adherence to NMEO-OP’s safeguards are crucial. The scheme already identifies potential zones for expansion with strict environmental oversight. At the same time, the Government must take necessary time-bound measures towards improvement to meet the challenges like soil conservation, poor infrastructure and poor road connectivity in the N-E to bring effective area under cultivation of oil palm sizeably.
Given that India’s average vegetable oil yield is only 0.3–0.4 tonnes per hectare, compared to the Asian average of 1.2 tonnes, oil palm give 3–4 tonnes of crude palm oil per hectare presents a compelling case for responsible expansion. However, this must go hand in hand with accountability, sustainability, and scientific management by all stakeholders. Let us not be too much apprehensive, rather act and perform.
Conclusion
Sustainable development in the North-East must rest on the pillars of proper land zoning, satellite monitoring, and agro-ecological planning. It is the joint responsibility of the Centre, State governments, and oil palm development companies to ensure that cultivation is regulated, effective, transparent, and environmentally sound. The State government should bring the “defaulter “to the books and no comfort to be given.
There is no need for additional bureaucratic layers, what’s needed is vigilance, performance-based monitoring, and a commitment to both livelihood and landscape. With careful planning, oil palm cultivation can become a tool for prosperity rather than a threat to the North-East’s evergreen.
The author is former CEO – Oil Palm Plantation, Godrej Agrovet Ltd.& Consultant- Palm Oil Production and Plantation Development. Views are personal.
Published on October 26, 2025
