Accounting for carbon in a palm oil production system in Eastern Amazonia

In eastern Amazonia, favorable environmental conditions primarily drive the expansion of oil palm plantations. This increase in cultivation has led to the growth of palm oil extraction companies in the region. However, establishing the sector has also resulted in escalating environmental impacts. This study aimed to calculate the balance of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emitted during palm oil production, focusing on CO2 sequestration in interspecific hybrid palm plantations (HIE: Elaeis oleifera Cortes x Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). The aerial biomass of HIE was estimated in plantations at one, three, five, and eight years of age. The biomass content at 25 years (the end of the economic cycle) was determined using the Chapman-Richards function, with a carbon conversion factor of f = 0.47. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) technique accounted for GHG emissions throughout palm oil production. Over 25 years, with an area of 2,645 hectares occupied by interspecific hybrid palm, the total carbon sequestered was estimated at 0.49 kilotons of CO2eq per hectare. In comparison, the total GHG emissions from the production process were approximately 0.39 kilotons of CO2eq per hectare over the same time frame. These findings suggest that the carbon balance of hybrid palm-HIE plantations, under the assessed conditions, is favorable due to significant carbon sequestration. At the same time, the GHG emissions associated with palm oil production are comparatively low.