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]
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.[6] The biggest global producers of palm oil are Indonesia, who produced 60% of it in 2022,[7] followed by Malaysia, Thailand, and Nigeria. Indonesia produces biodiesel primarily from palm oil.[8]
bloomberg
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).