The Reality Behind Our Foods: Palm Oil

6 min readDec 22, 2024

More humane and environmentally friendly palm oil production is possible.

By Nisreen Abo-Sido

Welcome to “The Reality Behind Our Foods,” a series of articles exploring environmental and social issues tied to the foods we eat. Join us as we examine various crops to highlight these challenges and potential solutions. We cannot solve these injustices instantly or alone, but we know — as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) teaches — the least we can do is be informed and know something is wrong in our hearts, before speaking or acting on it: “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” (Sahih Muslim)”

In our previous article we looked at the hidden cost of strawberries. This time we’re diving into palm oil.

Palm Oil

Chances are you had palm oil today. If it wasn’t in your bread or chocolate, it might’ve been in your soap or cosmetics — not that you eat those things, but you get the point. Palm oil is in a huge range of everyday foods and items. It’s estimated that 50% of all packaged products contain palm oil. It’s the most widely used vegetable oil, accounting for 60% of vegetable oil traded globally. It has no smell or taste, can help extend food shelf life, and remains stable at high temperatures, so it is very versatile.

Palm oil is also very efficient to produce. Compared to other vegetable-oil plants, oil palms produce a lot more oil on a lot less land, and can produce nearly all-year round. Oil palms are native to West Africa, but they were brought to Southeast Asia over a century ago [1]. Now Indonesia is the largest palm oil producer by far, accounting for 59% of global production, followed by Malaysia at 25% [2].

Palm oil sounds great. Doesn’t it? It’s very useful, efficient to produce, and could provide steady income to farmers all year. However, palm oil production is a notorious driver of deforestation and worker exploitation [3]. It shouldn’t have to be that way.

Environmental and Social Impacts:

Palm oil production has caused nearly a third of the 25 million acres of forest loss (deforestation) in Indonesia over the past 20 years [4]. Deforestation threatens ecosystems, endangering plants and animals. For instance, in Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans, tigers, and the world’s largest flower (the stinking corpse lily) have been threatened by habitat destruction during palm oil production. Palm oil production globally is affecting at least 193 threatened species, a briefing by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) reports [5].

As we know, trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they photosynthesize, which makes forests crucial in reducing this greenhouse gas and mitigating climate change. But it’s not just the trees that are pulling down carbon: wet forest soils also store carbon as the bacteria and fungi in the soil break down dead leaves, trees, and animals. However, to make way for palm oil plantations, trees are cut down and soils are drained, destroying these carbon storage systems (known as carbon sinks).

Skyrocketing demand for palm oil came from the West, which saw the oil as a versatile replacement for trans fats. Colonial powers found it easier to take land and labor for palm production in Southeast Asia than to do so in Africa [6]. In Southeast Asia, colonizers ran plantations using migrant workers, coercing them into low-paying contracts. Even after Indonesia and Malaysia gained their independence, the colonizers’ plantation companies maintained palm oil plantations, which continued to rely on cheap migrant labor. Cheap, exploited labor continues to be the norm for many palm oil plantations. For instance, the indigenous Buol community in Indonesia continues to fight wage and land theft by the company PT Hardaya Inti Plantations (HIP), which has profited from Buol land and labor, without compensating the people.

The demand for versatile and cheap palm oil continues to grow, as do its uses. This growth is marred by alarming reports of human rights abuses, including forced labor, exploitation, and child labor on palm oil plantations, which are documented occurrences across different countries [7].

What Can We Do About the Palm Oil Crisis?

The detrimental environmental and human impacts associated with palm oil have led some to call for a boycott of it. But many experts argue that this isn’t the right solution. Replacing palm oil with other vegetable oils would require more land, which could potentially lead to more deforestation, biodiversity loss, and displacement of communities. Also, the palm oil industry can support year-long employment for farmers and ensure stable livelihoods. There is hope.

Palm oil can be produced more sustainably and humanely, and companies are beginning to respond to advocates and consumer demands for better practices.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has created a Palm Oil Scorecard to assess how different producers are tackling the environmental and social impacts within their supply chains. While some companies are making progress, the industry still needs a lot of work, and everyone has a role to play. For instance, companies should make genuine commitments to source palm oil more responsibly, invest in sustainable and ethically-produced oils, and hold their suppliers accountable. At the same time, policymakers should adopt and enforce laws that protect both people and the environment, requiring traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain. For instance, in the US, the FOREST Act is meant to prevent the US from importing products that are linked to illegal deforestation, including palm oil, which was the imported product linked to the most deforestation compared to all other products covered by the bill. The FOREST Act had not passed and was reintroduced last year [8].

As for us, as consumers, we can advocate alongside the WWF for companies and governments to uphold responsible palm oil production. For instance, the WWF is collecting signatures to support the FOREST Act. We can also act through our purchases by looking for certified sustainable palm oil, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO’s) Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) or using an app like PalmOil Scan to assess products. Demanding more transparency so that we can act on this information is key to creating a movement for responsible palm oil that could shift the industry.

Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policy or position of the organization.