*1.1.2 Deforestation and green house gas emissions*

An assessment of deforestation and forest degradation from 1982 to 2007 [24] showed a 65% loss of forest cover over the last 25 years period or a loss of about 4.2 m ha of forest. While the development of timber plantations contributed to 24%, oil palm cultivation contributed to about 29% forest loss following initial exploitation of the timber source. Deforestation has significant negative impact on loss of biodiversity, changes in climate and rainfall pattern and distribution due to alteration in precipitation retention and rainfall rates. Estimation of the proportion of deforestation to expansion of oil palm cultivation in Indonesia ranged from 11–16%. In Ghana, Forest Carbon Partnership Facility reported that agricultural expansions contribute to 50% overall deforestation however, it was later discovered that only 7% of deforestation is associated with citrus, oil palm and rubber expansion combined [25].

Aside from global warming which initially focused on combustion of fossil fuels for heat and transportation and the subsequent release of CO2, other anthropogenic activities have also contributed significantly to the release of CO2 and that conversion of Carbon dense tropical forests is likely to be an important part of these. Stern [26] reported that deforestation contributes to about 18% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Development of plantation on tropical peat lands which are drained leads to oxidation which results in significant CO2 release over an extended period. Use of fires for land clearing and the emission of methane gas from the effluent treatment ponds of palm oil all contribute to GHG emissions.
