Palm Oil

What Is Palm Oil & What Is The Problem?

Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil which is extracted from the fruit of oil palm trees that are primarily grown in Indonesia and Malaysia. There are two types of palm oil: Crude Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil, which are extracted from the fruit and stone respectively. It is a very versatile crop, has a high yield and is cheap to produce. It is for these reasons that it is widely used in over half of everyday products, from processed foods, to household goods and personal care products, like shampoo and toothpaste. Subsequently, global demand for palm oil has more than tripled in the last 20 years.

Although palm oil can be sustainably grown, its production was responsible for 8% of global deforestation between 1990 and 2008. 300 football pitches of forest are cleared every hour to clear land for plantations and less than half of Indonesia’s forests remain, trends that show no signs of slowing. Despite its many practical uses, the production of palm oil is having ever-increasing impacts on the environment, wildlife and local communities.

Converting peat forests for alternative uses, such as palm oil plantations, is very damaging and a major contributor to climate change. These ecosystems are known as “carbon sinks” as they store a significant amount of carbon. So, when the land is cleared to create new plantations, this carbon is released into the atmosphere. The burning of these forests to clear the vegetation also releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Conversion of land for palm oil plantations has a detrimental impact on local flora and fauna. Not only does cutting down forests lead to the destruction of natural habitats, but it significantly increases the risk of poaching, as animals have less cover to hide. This is causing significant decreases in Biodiversity and contributing to the major decline of many endangered species. The creation of these plantations is also often illegal. For example, more than 75% of Indonesia’s Tesso Nilo National Park has illegally been converted to palm oil plantations, and some global palm oil trade companies own plantations that lack valid permits and lay within protected areas.

Communities rely on the natural forests for their livelihoods, but many have been displaced due to the expansion of palm oil plantations. They are being forced to work further away from towns, restricting their access to markets and basic services, like education and health care. As a result, conflicts between local communities and the palm oil companies are increasing. The uncontrolled burning of forests is also having damaging socio-economic and health impacts. In 2015, Indonesia experienced an exceptionally high number of forest fires. The resulting smoke was 15 times over the “hazardous” pollutant levels, causing a series of serious respiratory illnesses.

How You Can Help

Despite all of this, palm oil is the cheapest and most efficient vegetable oil crop to grow and if it was harvested sustainably then its impacts could be limited. However, this is often not the case. It may seem that this is a far-away problem, but there are always ways we can help.

Firstly, we should all make a conscious effort to cut down on the products we buy that contain palm oil. To do so, we need to be aware of the different terms manufacturers use for palm oil in their ingredient lists, which include:

Palm kernel oil | Palm kernel | Palm fruit oil | Palitate | Palmate | Palm olein | Stearic acid | Stearate | Ethyl palmitate

In the EU, any food product that contains palm oil must list it as an ingredient by law - and it cannot simply be listed as ‘vegetable oil’. So, knowing what to look out for is a significant step in limiting the products that you purchase containing palm oil.

When it’s not possible to find a palm oil free alternative, then opt to purchase products that use sustainable palm oil. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is an organisation that worked with the WWF to help protect fragile ecosystems and local communities who rely on the natural forests. So, look out for the RSPO label!

Useful Links & Further Information

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