Scientists have a part to play in the debate over oil palm cultivation which has captured and polarized public opinion, kindled and undoubtedly shaped by the media.

How can this palm be viewed as a ‘miracle plant’ by both the agro-food industry in the North and farmers in the tropical zone, but a serious ecological threat by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) campaigning for the environment or rights of local indigenous peoples?

The time has come to move on from this biased and often irrational debate, rooted in schools of thought and issues topical in contemporary society in the North, such as junk food, biodiversity, energy policy and ethical consumption.

Why do we need this book today? What would induce two researchers to abandon their fields of study and their laboratories to enter the perilous arena of public controversy?

Firstly, we think one of the reasons the public has developed such fixed ideas is that there has been a lack of accurate information on the sector and its actors, and a clear headed analysis of what’s at stake. We would like to point out that the production and processing of palm oil is part of a complex globalized agroindustrial sector with multiple actors and stakeholders, often at odds with one another.

Secondly, we feel that this sector, which now finds itself in the limelight, symbolizes the evolving North–South relationship in agricultural development. Palm oil is also a showcase for South–South trade and the development of this commerce is mainly driven by newly emerging economies.

As is the case in many industrial sectors — the automobile industry springs to mind, a sensitive sector for France — the countries of the North no longer dominate markets, a situation which will continue for some time into the future. They still play a leading role, not only in innovation (although how long this will last we do not know), but also in challenging the industry on ethical and environmental grounds. In addition, the bulk of agro-food processing involving palm oil takes place in the North, the home of the major agro-food multinationals which are the stated targets of NGOs. The self-appointed role of world policeman taken on by some governments and NGOs in the North is questionable, but it is clear that their dramatic and inevitably oversimplified campaigns have played a direct role in encouraging people to think about sustainability.