Fair Forests
For the environment, people, and animals
What is palm oil?
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil derived from the fruit of oil palm trees, primarily the African oil palm.
65% of all palm oil is used in foods.
It's the most widely consumed vegetable oil in the world.
27% of all palm oil is used in cosmetics & household products.
It's versatility can make it a difficult ingredient to substitute.
5% of all palm oil is used for biofuel.
Burning palm oil for fuel causes more environmental destruction that fossil fuels.
Palm oil is found in a variety of products that you use everyday, from foods to cosmetics and household products, and even fuel.
Hover over each icon to learn more about where palm oil is used.
Demand is ever growing, but oil palm plantations can cause destruction to the environment and communities
The production of palm oil increased around 40 times in the last 50 years, from 2 million tonnes to 80 million tonnes.
Most of the world's palm oil supply comes biodiversity rich areas in Indonesia and Malaysia, with Thailand also being a significant producer. The expansion of palm oil plantations is a major cause of deforestation in these regions, driven by high demand and the potential for substantial economic profit.
Environmental Impacts
To produce palm oil forests are cleared and peatlands are drained creating massive habitat destruction as well as releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Indonesia's peatland destruction alone releases up to 1.8 billion tons of CO2 annually. This deforestation not only results in the loss of vital rainforests but also destroys the habitats of endangered species. Indonesia, for instance, has experienced about 24 million hectares of rainforest cleared for palm oil plantations between 1990 and 2015.
Biodiversity Impacts
These rainforests are home to gibbons and other animals such as orangutans, Sumatran tigers, pygmy elephants, and rhinos. Additionally, the intensive agriculture practices involved in palm oil production often lead to significant soil erosion and water pollution. The use of pesticides and fertilizers contaminates local water sources, affecting both human populations and wildlife.
Social Impacts
The production of palm oil not only raises concerns for the environment and animals, but can also negatively impact human communities. The rapid expansion of palm oil plantations frequently leads to the displacement of Indigenous communities and small farmers. This displacement often results in conflicts over land rights and loss of traditional livelihoods. Reports also indicate that labor exploitation, including poor working conditions, low wages, and child labor, is prevalent in some palm oil plantations. While palm oil is an economic boon for producing countries, providing numerous jobs and substantial revenue, it often disproportionately benefits large corporations at the expense of local communities. The economic benefits are not shared equally, leaving local populations to bear the environmental and social costs. The global demand for palm oil continues to rise due to its low cost and versatility. This increasing demand incentivizes further expansion of palm oil plantations, increasing the associated environmental and social issues.
Let's look at one real life example of the impacts of oil palm plantations
A Case Study of Tesso Nilo National Park
More than
90%
of the world's oil palm plantations exist in Malaysia and Indonesia
Tesso Nilo National Park, located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is home to some of the highest levels of plant and animal biodiversity in the world including many threatened species.
However the driven by the lucrative demand for palm oil and laxed conservation measures the park has lost vast amounts of the rich forest habitats it is meant to preserve.
Tesso Nilo National Park lost
of its total tree coverage between 2000 and 2023, to oil palm plantations
This is a big issue for all the species that call Tesso Nilo National Park home.
What's the solution?
What can I do to make a difference?
One of the most important actions we can take right now is to use sustainable palm.
Using sustainable palm oil is better than avoiding palm oil entirely.
Palm oil yields significantly more per hectare than any alternatives. For instance, in 2016, palm oil accounted for 36% of global vegetable oil production but used only 8.6% of the land. In contrast, during the same period of time, sunflower oil represented just 9% of production while using 8.3% of the land!
Higher yields from palm oil mean less land is needed, which is beneficial for the environment. A global boycott of palm oil wouldn't solve the problem; it would merely shift it elsewhere on a larger scale, requiring more land to meet global demand.
It's important to recognize that this assumes the impact of land use is uniform worldwide. This suggests that using one hectare of land in Europe for sunflower seeds is comparable to clearing a tropical rainforest for an oil palm plantation. In reality, establishing an oil palm plantation causes much more habitat destruction, involving the deforestation of vast areas. Moreover, regions where oil palms thrive, such as Southeast Asia, are biodiversity hotspots. Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that any palm oil used in products is grown and manufactured to the highest sustainability and ethical standards to mitigate environmental and social impacts. Research into palm oil alternatives, biodegradable vegetable oils, and sustainable options that do not contribute to deforestation is ongoing, but it is essential to be aware of the implications of palm oil and encourage corporations to adhere to sustainability standards and invest in innovating and improving practices.
As a consumer you have the power of choice, to put your decisions behind corporations that adhere to high standards of sustainability.
Check the ingredient list!
When you’re doing your shopping or looking at the products you use be sure to skim the ingredient list.
Palm oil can be disguised as a number of ingredient names such as Vegetable Oil, Vegetable Fat, Palm Kernel, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Fruit Oil, Palmate, Palmitate, Palmolein, Glyceryl, Stearate, Stearic Acid, Elaeis Guineensis, Palmitic Acid, Palm Stearine, Palmitoyl Oxostearamide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Kernelate, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Lauryl Lactylate/Sulphate, Hyrated Palm Glycerides, Etyl Palmitate, Octyl Palmitate, and Palmityl Alcohol.
Step 1
Know what products contain palm oil
Download the PalmOil Scan app on the app store or google play. Supported in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, this app uses a barcode scanner to instantly identify if a product is RSPO certified. You can also search for a keyword using the “Search a Keyword” feature.
Know the labels!
There are many certification schemes that establish standards to ensure that palm oil is produced to a high level of environmental sustainability and ethics. We've sat down with a number of labelling groups to understand their processes and what they truly stand for.
Tap on each label to learn more about their certification!
Do some research!
If a product isn't clearly labelled, do some quick research on the company that makes it.
Use the handy tools and resources to quickly find out if the palm oil is uncertified:
Step 2
Take Action
If you come across a company that does not use sustainable palm take action!
Reach out to the company and explain why you are against unsustainable palm oil and that you will not purchase their product if it does not adhere to high sustainability practices.
Need help getting started? Take our pledge!
Become part of a community of individuals committed to coming together to create a big change. When you commit to only using sustainable palm oil and following up with brands that are falling short we'll send you an editable letter template that can be sent to companies, urging them to adopt higher palm oil sustainability standards.
