• What is the Tajik Agrarian University project?
  • The project focuses on strengthening the capacities of research institutions, specifically those associated with the Tajikistan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Tajik Agrarian University, in the area of research and development of technologies, with a focus on climate adaptation and sector development.
  • Are oil crops causing environmental problems in the tropics?
  • Oil crops are key to food security and are engines of economic growth, particularly in many developing regions of the tropics. However, the expansion of crops such as soybean and oil palm in the tropics over recent decades has led to concerns around environmental impacts such as biodiversity reduction and increases in greenhouse gas emissions.
  • What is the tropical oil crop revolution?
  • The large increase in cultivation of oil palm in Southeast Asia and soybeans in Brazil and Argentina has been termed ¡°the tropical oil crop revolution¡± (Byerlee et al., 2016) and has involved a substantial conversion of land away from a variety of other uses to the cultivation of these two relatively high-intensity monoculture crops.
  • Why are vegetable oil crops important?
  • Vegetable oil crops are crucial for global food security, human well-being, and economic progress, with particularly important roles in many developing regions in Asia, South America, and Africa. In terms of land use, oil palm is by far the most efficient crop, supplying 40% of global oil production while occupying only 7.5% of cropland area.
  • What factors influence sustainability of vegetable oil supply chains?
  • One of the factors that influences sustainability of vegetable oil supply chains is the ability of supply chains to meet consumer requirements. Population growth and economic advances in key regions such as Asia have substantially increased demand for edible vegetable oils over recent decades.
  • What factors affect vegetable oil crops?
  • Elements relevant to vegetable oil crops include land appropriation, labor conditions, and beneficial effects, especially to smallholders, in emerging economies. Human capital considerations apply more to oil palm and soybean compared to rapeseed and sunflower cropping systems.