OILING THE WHEELS OF DEMOCRACY.

PALM oil industry; PALM oil industry & the environment; WORLD Wildlife Fund (1961-1998); OXFAM International (Organization); BOYCOTTS; ENVIRONMENTAL policy; GOVERNMENT policy

The article discusses the economic significance of palm oil and the environmental and social problems caused by its cultivation, and provides details on the use of threatened consumer boycotts of palm oil organized by the non-government organizations (NGOs) Oxfam and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to pressure governments to agree to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an organization governing the sustainable production of palm oil. The unique ability of NGOs to influence governments on social and environmental causes is also commented on.