Palm Oil is in everything, from lipstick to pizza – but what is it? And why is it bad for the environment? In this post, I’m going to talk about what it is, where it comes from, why it’s a problem, and how we can help.
What is it? Palm Oil is a type of vegetable oil that comes from palm trees known as Elaeis Guineensis. These palm trees are native to Africa but were brought to south-east Asia about 100 years ago. 85% of the global supply comes from Indonesia and Malasia, with 45 other countries also making it. The oil is extremely versatile as it is semi-solid at room temperature, resistant to oxidisation, stable at high temperatures, odourless and colourless. Therefore, it doesn’t alter the look or smell of food and is great for spreads, longer shelf-lives, and keeping things crunchy.
Why is it a problem? The production of Palm Oil can have several environmental problems. Firstly, it is a major cause of deforestation as land is cleared to create space for the crop. This destroys the habitats of animals like orangutans, pygmy elephants and sumatran rhinos. Deforestation removes trees which allows more CO2 to be released. A common method of deforestation is burning, which also produces CO2, especially when peat fires are created, which are harder to put out. This process creates carbon sinks, which produce more carbon per unit area than any other ecosystem in the world. Palm Oil production can also create freshwater pollution, as 2.5 metric tons of liquid waste is produced for every metric ton of oil. Soil erosion is also a threat when oil palms are planted on steep slopes, which causes flooding. Therefore, unsustainable Palm Oil production is a huge problem.
So, what is it in? It’s in almost 50% of what is on our shelves. Palm Oil can appear under the following names: 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. It can be in products like pizza, deodorant, shampoo, chocolate, doughnuts, toothpaste and lipstick. It is also used in biofuels and animal feed in some countries. So, it’s in more things than you think, and because it isn’t always listed in ingredients lists as the same thing, it can be tricky to spot.
Finally, what can we do about it? Well, products can be made with sustainable palm oil, and if they are, then the product will be RSPO certified. Crucially, Palm Oil is important for the GDP of developing countries, so boycotting Palm Oil altogether is not the answer. Instead, lobbying for change is more effective. By 2016 75% of the Palm Oil in the UK was sustainable, so now there needs to be a push to 100%. So, encourage change, support businesses that use Palm Oil sustainably, and buy RSPO certified products.
Sources:
Waste Makes Waste 
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