Mongabay: The Philippines is proposing to convert 8 million hectares (20 million acres) of 'idle, denuded and unproductive lands' for oil palm plantations, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
According to the newspaper, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje announced the target two weeks ago, arguing that the country could make $50 billion or more from the crop.
But environmentalists expressed concern over the idea, suggesting that idle lands should instead be reforested to reduce the incidence of disasters...