The historical rapid growth of the palm oil sector, prioritizing immediate economic rewards (like quick profits from extensive land clearing) without sufficiently accounting for long-term harms such as ecosystem collapse, loss of endangered species, and increased flood risks for local communities, directly mirrors the definition of unsustainable development where short-term gains are overshadowed by longer-term costs to people or the planet.

Unsustainable development in palm oil primarily involves market price fluctuations and their impact on smallholders, which are short-term economic issues.

Unsustainable development in palm oil solely refers to the depletion of non-renewable resources, which is not applicable to an agricultural product.

Sustainable development only becomes relevant to the palm oil industry once all natural resources are completely used up, rather than during the expansion phase.