Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ciat/4386203927
Where Did the Problem Start?
Palm oil is now the most widely produced, consumed, and traded oil in the world, surpassing canola/soybean oil by far. Malaysia and Indonesia are now the biggest exporters of this product, and have begun to seize economic control in West Africa and South America where most companies are under Malaysian or Indonesian ownership.
It is predicted that by 2020, 89.1 billion pounds will be exported per year. Most of these monocropping companies are privately owned conglomerates which sell in bulk to the U.S. every year. As of now, about 44 billion pounds are produced per year! Wolfram alpha states that 64.71 million barrels are exported to the US every single day! Millions of acres of arable land and rainforest are cut down each year for palm oil plantations. By 1997, over 50% of the rainforest in Malaysia and Indonesia had been destroyed due to logging. Rather than "sustainably" removing these trees, many companies will destroy forests through use of fire to save time and money. In 1997, one of these fires was not controlled properly and killed 8,000 orangutans on the island of Borneo. It would be more sustainable to reuse this land, but timber is expensive and is often used for secondary profit. This is often primary forest that could take a century to be recognizable again. Read about one group's efforts to rebuild the forests in Indonesia here.
We live in a temperate region where most trees fruit synchronously once each year. However, near the equator where climactic conditions remain stable year-round, most fruiting trees produce food asynchronously. Due to this, most animals that eat fruit have very large territories that overlap marginally and migrate continuously to get a stable supply of food. Since predators eat these herbivores, their ranges can be even larger. And, because forests have become highly fragmented from roads and plantations, there is not enough food at one time to support many populations. Also disturbing, it is difficult for many of the animals that live in these areas to cross these plantations because they will be shot, poached, or sold. For an excellent resource describing the palm oil industry's devastating effects on orangutans, see this link to a report by the Rainforest Action Network, "Truth and Consequences: Palm Oil Plantations Push Unique Orangutan Population to the Brink of Extinction."
To read more information about the impact of palm oil on people, the environment and climate, animal species and habitat and human health and rights, see the drop down menu above.
It is predicted that by 2020, 89.1 billion pounds will be exported per year. Most of these monocropping companies are privately owned conglomerates which sell in bulk to the U.S. every year. As of now, about 44 billion pounds are produced per year! Wolfram alpha states that 64.71 million barrels are exported to the US every single day! Millions of acres of arable land and rainforest are cut down each year for palm oil plantations. By 1997, over 50% of the rainforest in Malaysia and Indonesia had been destroyed due to logging. Rather than "sustainably" removing these trees, many companies will destroy forests through use of fire to save time and money. In 1997, one of these fires was not controlled properly and killed 8,000 orangutans on the island of Borneo. It would be more sustainable to reuse this land, but timber is expensive and is often used for secondary profit. This is often primary forest that could take a century to be recognizable again. Read about one group's efforts to rebuild the forests in Indonesia here.
We live in a temperate region where most trees fruit synchronously once each year. However, near the equator where climactic conditions remain stable year-round, most fruiting trees produce food asynchronously. Due to this, most animals that eat fruit have very large territories that overlap marginally and migrate continuously to get a stable supply of food. Since predators eat these herbivores, their ranges can be even larger. And, because forests have become highly fragmented from roads and plantations, there is not enough food at one time to support many populations. Also disturbing, it is difficult for many of the animals that live in these areas to cross these plantations because they will be shot, poached, or sold. For an excellent resource describing the palm oil industry's devastating effects on orangutans, see this link to a report by the Rainforest Action Network, "Truth and Consequences: Palm Oil Plantations Push Unique Orangutan Population to the Brink of Extinction."
To read more information about the impact of palm oil on people, the environment and climate, animal species and habitat and human health and rights, see the drop down menu above.
What is Sustainable Palm Oil and Why Should We Use It?
NOTE: The University of Arizona's Palm Oil Awareness Initiative recognizes the difficulty with identifying "sustainable" palm oil. We feel it is up to consumers as to whether or not to support the boycot/buycot of products with palm oil. Here we present some reasons why it may be advantageous for consumers to consider using products that contain sustainable palm oil, and we have a blog post about why it may not be the best choice for you. We urge all consumers to educate themselves on these issues and make an informed decision that works for your life. Whatever you do, we hope that after reading some of the information provided in this website you will be inspired to reduce your use of palm oil in your everyday life.
These questions and answers are provided by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Q. If the palm oil industry can have such a negative impact on people, orangutans, and the environment, why not just boycott it?
A. Boycotting palm oil is a choice consumers can make to try and help orangutans and other wildlife in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, using Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is a more effective and responsible choice.
Q. Why is using Certified Sustainable Palm Oil a more effective and responsible choice?
A. There are several reasons:
1. Oil palms are the most productive type of all the edible oil plants. Oil palms produce about 5-10 times more oil per acre than other crops like soy or canola. In this way, palm oil can be a more environmentally friendly oil because less land has to be cleared to get the same amount of product.
2. Indonesia and Malaysia are countries that struggle with poverty and palm oil is a huge part of the economy. Without it, millions more people would be unemployed.
3. There will always be a demand for edible oil, and this demand is growing due to worldwide population growth. Palm oil is in many of the things we eat and use every day. If we boycott palm oil, another crop will just take its place.
4. Certified Sustainable Palm oil isn't just any palm oil. It comes from a plantation that has made a commitment to produce palm oil in a way that minimizes its impact on wildlife, indigenous people, and the planet.
The WAY Palm Oil is Grown Makes All the Difference.
Palm oil plantations and mills that are certified as sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have met many criteria to achieve certification. Palm oil plantations and mills that are NOT certified as sustainable by the RSPO do not have to adhere to RSPO regulations. Therefore, consumers can’t be sure whether or not the palm oil coming from non-RSPO producers has harmed native wildlife, violated the rights of indigenous people, or had other negative environmental impacts.
These questions and answers are provided by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Q. If the palm oil industry can have such a negative impact on people, orangutans, and the environment, why not just boycott it?
A. Boycotting palm oil is a choice consumers can make to try and help orangutans and other wildlife in Indonesia and Malaysia. However, using Certified Sustainable Palm Oil is a more effective and responsible choice.
Q. Why is using Certified Sustainable Palm Oil a more effective and responsible choice?
A. There are several reasons:
1. Oil palms are the most productive type of all the edible oil plants. Oil palms produce about 5-10 times more oil per acre than other crops like soy or canola. In this way, palm oil can be a more environmentally friendly oil because less land has to be cleared to get the same amount of product.
2. Indonesia and Malaysia are countries that struggle with poverty and palm oil is a huge part of the economy. Without it, millions more people would be unemployed.
3. There will always be a demand for edible oil, and this demand is growing due to worldwide population growth. Palm oil is in many of the things we eat and use every day. If we boycott palm oil, another crop will just take its place.
4. Certified Sustainable Palm oil isn't just any palm oil. It comes from a plantation that has made a commitment to produce palm oil in a way that minimizes its impact on wildlife, indigenous people, and the planet.
The WAY Palm Oil is Grown Makes All the Difference.
Palm oil plantations and mills that are certified as sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have met many criteria to achieve certification. Palm oil plantations and mills that are NOT certified as sustainable by the RSPO do not have to adhere to RSPO regulations. Therefore, consumers can’t be sure whether or not the palm oil coming from non-RSPO producers has harmed native wildlife, violated the rights of indigenous people, or had other negative environmental impacts.