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What is palm oil? -

Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. It comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree, or, more specifically, from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit. 

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Where are oil palm trees found? -

Previously found only in Africa, palm oil trees are now grown in Asia, North America, and South America.

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Produced around the world -

Indonesia and Malaysia make up over 85% of global palm oil supply. But there are 42 other countries that also produce palm oil.

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A ubiquitous ingredient -

It's an extremely versatile oil found in close to 50% of the packaged products we find in supermarkets, anything from bread and ice cream to pizza, chocolate, and donuts.

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Made for everything -

Palm oil is also found in toiletries, things like toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoo, and in more than 70% of cosmetics, including lipstick.

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Animal feed -

Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), the distillate left after the refining of palm oil, is used extensively in animal feed.

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Palm oil biofuel -

Palm oil-based biofuel is used in many parts of the world. However, the European Commission has officially approved a measure to phase out its use by 2030, a move noted by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

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Widely used -

It's palm oil's many different properties and functions that make it so useful and so widely used.

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Very versatile -

Palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature, so it can be used as a spread. It is resistant to oxidation, so it can give products a longer shelf-life. And it's stable at high temperatures, so it helps to give fried products, chips for example, a crispy and crunchy texture.

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Potential health benefits -

Despite being about 49% saturated fat, palm oil has a range of potential health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants, one of which is vitamin E. This vitamin has been connected to improved brain health.

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Lowers certain health risk factors -

In some studies, the vitamin E in palm oil has also been associated with better heart health. According to Healthline, palm oil generally appears to have beneficial effects on heart disease risk factors, including lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. However, more human studies are needed to evaluate the overall health benefits or otherwise of the oil.

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An efficient crop -

The oil palm tree is the most efficient oil crop in terms of land use. In fact, it uses less than half the land required by other crops, for example sunflower or soybean.

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A year-round commodity -

Furthermore, palm oil can be harvested almost year round, making it a hugely attractive crop for growers and smallholders, who can rely on the steady revenue stream that palm oil provides.

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Palm oil and deforestation -

On paper, at least, the benefits of palm oil far outweigh any negative aspects of this versatile crop. But here's the problem: palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation.

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A burden on land -

According to figures published by the BBC, the use of land for palm oil globally has increased almost nine-fold from 3.3 million hectares in 1970 to 28.7 million hectares in 2020.

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Worth billions -

Vantage Market Research valued the worldwide palm oil industry at US$62.3 billion in 2021. And such is the continuing growth in demand, that this figure is expected to increase to $75.7 billion by 2028. But this global worth comes at a huge price. 

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Endangering wildlife -

Deforestation has decimated huge tracts of some the world's most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already critically endangered species like the orangutan, pygmy elephant, and Sumatran rhino.

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Thousands dead -

The result of this insatiable quest for palm oil has led to the deaths of an estimated 100,000 orangutans alone over the past 16 years, according to data published by Current Biology.

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Promoting climate change -

The conversion of rainforest into plantations also contributes to climate change. Carbon-rich peat soils are spewing out huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, to further accelerate global warming.

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One goes up, another comes down -

And it doesn't help that, on average, palm oil trees live for up to 30 years. Once the trees grow too high, making it difficult to reach the fruit, they are cut down to make room for new trees to further exacerbate deforestation. 

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Exploitation of labor -

On top of environmental concerns, there remain serious issues regarding the exploitation of workers and child labor within the entire palm oil sector, issues that Amnesty International highlighted in their 2016 report, 'The great palm oil scandal: Labour abuses behind big brand names.'

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Is there an alternative to palm oil? -

A September 2023 report carried by the BBC revealed that a Scottish research team believe they may have produced the "holy grail" alternative to palm oil.

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PALM-ALT -

Food experts at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in Edinburgh claim that their new 100% plant-based ingredient called PALM-ALT is better for the environment.

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A healthier option -

Made from a by-product from the linseed industry, plus natural fiber and rapeseed oil, and with 80% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories, the QMU team are also hailing PALM-ALT as a significantly healthier option.

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Same, but different -

PALM-ALT is described as having a mayonnaise-style consistency, much the same as palm oil. It's also said to taste the same.

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Look out for it -

The QMU team have secured an international patent application for PALM-ALT, and discussions are set to begin with prospective manufacturers.

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The work of the RSPO -

Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund urges companies and consumers to only purchase and use palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO.

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A more sustainable crop -

As a global, non-profit organization with voluntary members, the RSPO is focused on bringing together stakeholders from across the palm oil supply chain to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.

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Working towards a better future -

The RSPO encourages companies to set robust policies to remove deforestation, the conversion of other natural ecosystems (such as peatlands), and human rights abuses from their supply chains.

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Setting standards -

Equally important, the RSPO urges companies to be transparent in their use and sourcing of palm oil, ensuring they know who they are buying from and where it's been produced.

Sources: (National Institutes of Health) (CIFOR) (Healthline) (Vantage Market Research) (Current Biology) (BBC) (Amnesty International) (RSPO)

See also: What are the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals? 

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