The Guatemalan oil palm industry has had a contentious history marred with violent evictions, environmental damage, employment abuses, and ongoing poverty in producer regions. Previous studies have observed detrimental effects of the oil palm industry on food production and access, which has exacerbated food insecurity and spurred land conflicts with peasant communities. However, few have characterized and quantified the region-specific oil palm expansion over time. This study illustrates the geographic pattern of oil palm development in different parts of Guatemala and calculates the associated reduction in other types of land uses, with special focus on basic grain production, forests, and fallow land, which are key components of traditional food systems. It is found that in the northern provinces of Petén and Quiché, 36% and 63% of oil palm expansion occurred over former basic grain farmland, while 16% and 22% displaced fallow land, and 17% and 12% displaced tropical forests, just between 2010 and 2019. In the same decade, over 1500 ha of forest and about 2800 ha of basic grain farmland were converted to oil palm in Alta Verapaz. Significant, though less prominent, loss of forest and basic grain production was also detected in Izabal and along the country’s southern coast. It is concluded that oil palm has compromised local food systems in many poor rural regions where many households rely on locally produced and/or self-provisioned food. Continued uncontrolled oil palm expansion poses a threat to food security in producer regions, especially in the absence of strong social and environmental protections and enforcement of employment safety, equity, and fair pay.

中文翻译：

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绘制危地马拉 2003-2019 年与油棕相关的土地利用变化图：对粮食安全的影响


危地马拉油棕产业有着一段充满争议的历史，其中包括暴力驱逐、环境破坏、虐待和生产地区持续贫困等问题。先前的研究观察到油棕业对粮食生产和获取产生不利影响，这加剧了粮食不安全并引发了与农民社区的土地冲突。然而，很少有人对特定地区油棕随时间的扩张进行描述和量化。本研究阐述了危地马拉不同地区油棕开发的地理格局，并计算了其他类型土地利用的相关减少量，特别关注基本粮食生产、森林和休耕地，它们是传统粮食系统的关键组成部分。研究发现，在北部的佩滕省和基切省，36%和63%的油棕扩张发生在以前的基本粮食农田上，而16%和22%的休耕地被取代，17%和12%的热带森林被取代，仅2010 年至 2019 年间。在同一十年中，上韦拉帕斯有超过 1500 公顷的森林和约 2800 公顷的基本粮田被转变为油棕。伊萨瓦尔和该国南部沿海地区也发现了森林和基本粮食生产的严重损失，尽管不那么突出。结论是，油棕损害了许多贫困农村地区的当地粮食系统，这些地区的许多家庭依赖当地生产和/或自行供应粮食。持续不受控制的油棕扩张对生产地区的粮食安全构成威胁，特别是在缺乏强有力的社会和环境保护以及就业安全、公平和公平薪酬执行的情况下。