Palm oil

For oil created from the palm kernel, rather than the palm fruit, see Palm kernel oil.

Palm oil block showing the lighter color that results from boiling

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms.[1] The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from oil crops in 2014.[2] Palm oils are easier to stabilize and maintain quality of flavor and consistency in ultra-processed foods, so they are frequently favored by food manufacturers.[3] Globally, humans consumed an average of 7.7 kg (17 lb) of palm oil per person in 2015.[4] Demand has also increased for other uses, such as cosmetics and biofuels, encouraging the growth of palm oil plantations in tropical countries.

The use of palm oil has attracted the concern of environmental and human right groups. The palm oil industry is a significant contributor to deforestation in the tropics where palms are grown and has been cited as a factor in social problems due to allegations of human rights violations among growers.[5] The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil was formed in 2004 to promote the more sustainable and ethical production of palm oil. However, very little palm oil is certified through the organization, and some groups have criticized it as greenwashing.[6]

In 2018, a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature acknowledged that palm oil is much more efficient than other oils in terms of land and water usage; however, deforestation causes more biodiversity loss than switching to other oils.[7] The biggest global producers of palm oil are Indonesia, who produced 60% of it in 2022,[8] followed by Malaysia, Thailand, and Nigeria. Indonesia produces biodiesel primarily from palm oil.[9]

  1. ^ Reeves, James B.; Weihrauch, John L; Consumer and Food Economics Institute (1979). Composition of foods: fats and oils. Agriculture handbook 8-4. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration. p. 4. OCLC 5301713.
  2. ^ Ritchie, Hannah (9 February 2021). "Palm Oil". Our World in Data.
  3. ^ "Sustainable palm oil: how can food companies step up to the plate?". www.foodprocessing-technology.com. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference bloomberg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Immerzeel, DESIRÉE J.; Verweij, PITA A.; van der Hilst, FLOOR; Faaij, ANDRÉ P. C. (5 April 2013). "Biodiversity impacts of bioenergy crop production: a state-of-the-art review". GCB Bioenergy. 6 (3): 183–209. doi:10.1111/gcbb.12067. hdl:1874/308342. ISSN 1757-1693. S2CID 86278367.
  6. ^ "Child labor in palm oil industry tied to Girl Scout cookies". AP NEWS. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  7. ^ Meijaard, Erik; Garcia-Ulloa, John; Sheil, Douglas; Wich, Serge A.; Carlson, K. M.; Juffe-Bignoli, Diego; Brooks, Thomas M. (2018). Oil palm and biodiversity. IUCN. ISBN 978-2-8317-1911-5.
  8. ^ "Palm Oil Production by Country | World Agricultural Production 2023/2024". www.worldagriculturalproduction.com.
  9. ^ "Indonesia's biodiesel drive is leading to deforestation". BBC News. 8 December 2021.