Your beloved biscuits, the chocolate spread you put on your sandwich in the morning, the soap in your bathroom. Even your toothpaste could well contain palm oil, as it is used in just about everything. It is the kind of product we never actually see, yet consume every day. In recent years, palm oil has come to be seen in a more negative light, until sustainable palm oil came along. Say no to destroying the rainforest, and hi to protection of biodiversity and better working and living conditions for employees. But is this really the case?

The blowing palm trees in Malaysia and Indonesia do not only provide postcard-worthy views. No, most of these trees are the ultimate source of palm oil, which is extracted by squeezing their fruits. This vegetable oil is known for giving structure to many products. For example, it ensures that chocolate does not melt. It is also heat-tolerant and has good storage potential. Because the oil is a cheap and stable fatty substance, the food industry uses it extensively. You can find it in frying oil, margarine and mayonnaise or as vegetable fat in biscuits, cakes and breakfast cereals and chocolate spread. Because it is so cheap, it is used in many products. The yield per hectare is higher than all other vegetable oils. Moreover, the oil requires low labour costs and cheap land acquisition.

(foto Glenn Hurowitz)

For nature and the indigenous population, however, palm oil is a different story. Rainforests are still being destroyed on a large scale in order to make way for the many palm oil plantations. The disappearance of this flora contributes to global warming and robs many animal species of their natural habitat. Moreover, the burning down of forest areas leads to heavy air pollution and CO2 emissions. The production of palm oil is also a major threat to the local population, farmers and their neighbours in particular. Their own land is taken from them and they are faced with harsh working conditions and exploitation. Despite these facts, the demand for palm oil continues to rise sharply.

Despite all conflicts, the production of palm oil does reduce poverty among the local communities and provides development opportunities for small-scale farmers. According to Oxfam, the key is to look for a production model that optimizes the benefits of palm oil while minimizing its drawbacks. The current initiatives do not succeed sufficiently in this aim and are poorly put into practice by the companies. Governments should therefore act as soon as possible to regulate the palm oil sector.

In March 2019, the European Commission already decided that palm oil can no longer be categorised as green fuel. This is a step forward since more than half of all palm oil in Europe is used in biofuel.