Palm oil gets a bad rep- and for good reasons. The most produced vegetable oil in the world, it is found in a whole range of products: from foods, to body care, to household products.
The production and manufacturing of palm oil is highly destructive to the environment for a plethora of reasons, all of which I plan to flesh out in this piece.
Problems with Palm Oil….
The main moral qualm with the production of palm oil is its contribution to deforestation, and the impact of deforestation on climate change, biodiversity loss, and habitat deconstruction.
Most of Palm Oil production occurs in tropical states, like Borneo, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Production is so concentrated here that 85% of global Palm Oil comes from Indonesia or Malaysia.
Due to the deforestation that palm oil production necessitates, Indonesia is just behind China and the U.S. for the highest greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
The clearing of forest for palm oil production has been disastrous for the habitats of many animals, especially orangutans. According to this piece, Bornean Orangutans have lost 90% of their habitat in the last two decades due to the clearing of land for palm oil plantations.
Can Palm Oil be Sustainable?
Although I initially thought that the solution to the Palm Oil crisis lied in decreasing demand for the ingredient and making the industry die, I quickly learned that this would not be a viable solution.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, Palm Oil production is expected to double from current levels by 2050. Demand is skyrocketing worldwide, as it continues to be the cheapest vegetable oil.
The Palm Oil industry also employs lots of people in these countries, and eliminating the industry would be destructive to the livelihoods of these people.
Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) is a measure created by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in order to indicate that a product has sourced their palm oil from places which haven’t contributed to the normal egregious practices of palm oil production.
You can check this scorecard the WWF put together to help you locate companies and brands that have committed to using CSPO and those who are actually doing so.
Nevertheless, it is debatable the degree to and the grounds on which Palm Oil can be “sustainable”.
Researchers in a study have concluded that there has been no difference in Orangutan population decline between CSPO plantations versus regular palm oil plantations.
Common Places to Look for Palm Oil
Some More Fast Facts…
Here are some great resources for more fast facts on Palm Oil and its impacts on the environment and ecosystem:
How You Can Help…
Now that you are familiar with the problem, I wanted to give you guys some ideas with ways in which you can help appease the destruction brought on by the Palm Oil crisis.
– Educate your loved ones on palm oil (send them this article!)
– Petition for your favorite brands to stop buying and using palm oil
I hope this article provided useful information on the downfalls of palm oil and why we should avoid buying it! Did you learn something new reading this? Let me know in the comments!
