Furthermore, palm oil is an important crop for the GDP of emerging economies and there are millions of smallholder farmers who depend on producing palm oil for their livelihood. Meaning the other 65 percent pay to be “members,” but have taken no action to adhere to the RSPO guidelines in their growing practices. It is semi-solid at room temperature so can keep spreads spreadable; it is resistant to oxidation and so can give products a longer shelf-life; it’s stable at high temperatures and so helps to give fried products a crispy and crunchy texture; it’s also odourless and colourless so doesn’t alter the look or smell of food products. Palm oil is a tropical oil that comes from the pulp of palm fruit. The. These fruits grow on palm trees located in Africa, the Americas, and South-East Asia. Certified palm oil protects the environment and the local communities who depend on it for their livelihoods, so that palm oil can continue to play a key role in food security. Palm oil facts The human use of oil palms is believed to date back as far as 5,000 years. This is why raising awareness about how palm oil production is harming the planet, animals, and people alike is so, so important. Get your favorite articles delivered right to your inbox! It promotes the healing process of injuries. They set a commitment for 100% of the palm oil used in the UK to be from sustainable sources that don’t harm nature or people. U Palm oil is a vegetable oil, and is the most widely used of its kind in the world. In 2011, Wilmar (one of the world’s largest palm oil producers) bulldozers ransacked an entire village, destroying 40 homes to clear 40,000 hectares of land for a palm plantation. For you who don’t know, Palm Oil is the kind of natural vegetable oil that produced from palm trees with the name of Elaeis Guineensis. Now, Indonesia and Malaysia make up over 85% of global supply but there are 42 other countries that also produce palm oil. The oil palm tree grows in regions around the equator. Up to 300 football fields of forest are cleared every HOUR to make room for palm plantations. 1. 2. 7. Clearing one hectare (about two square acres) of peat forest can release 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide. Palm oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the palm fruit called Elaeis guineensis, the second most consumed oil in the world after soybean oil. As well as committing to buy and use RSPO certified palm oil across their operations globally, we encourage companies to be transparent in their use and sourcing of palm oil ensuring they know who they are buying from and where it’s been produced, and to invest in and support smallholder programmes and sustainable landscape initiatives. Image source: Marco Schmidt / Wikipedia Commons. Indonesia Palm Oil Facts is committed to doing our part to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This article mentions the ten facts about red palm oil out many advantages. Palm oil is high in saturated fat. Palm oil is gained from the fruit of the oil palm and used mainly in the production of food, cosmetics and fuel. First thing first, before knowing about the production of the Palm Oil, it’s better to know first about what is the Palm Oil itself. A useful and versatile product, palm oil also has many applications in the home and beyond, with some even claiming medicinal or therapeutic properties. Furthermore, palm oil is an important crop for the GDP of emerging economies and there are millions of smallholder farmers who depend on producing palm oil for their livelihood. To get the same amount of alternative oils like soybean or coconut oil you would need anything between 4 and 10 times more land, which would just shift the problem to other parts of the world and threaten other habitats and species. 4. 3. The Facts. Globally, palm oil supplies 35% of the world’s vegetable oil demand on just 10% of the land. This is great progress but there is more to be done to get to 100%. In November 2018 the RSPO standard was strengthened and it now represents an essential tool that can help companies achieve their commitments to palm oil that is free of deforestation, expansion on peat, exploitation and the use of fire. Creamy Diane Sauce and Swedish “Meatballs” [Vegan], Healthy Apple Pie Oat Bars [Vegan, Gluten-Free], Healthy, Winter Foods That Keep Your Immune System Humming, Therapy ‘Dogtor’ Boosts Frontline Healthcare Workers’ Spirits During Pandemic, Eight Year Old Campaigns for India’s Elephants, Petition: Find Person Who is Slashing Pelicans’ Pouches, 10 Amazing Rescues of Sick, Injured, and Abandoned Birds, Dog Saved in Heroic Rescue from a Frozen River in Michigan, California Police Officer Caught on Camera Punching Dog. Together we can fight to restore nature, but we need your support. Palm oil is estimated to be in around half of all packaged items found in supermarkets and is a common ingredient in margarine, biscuits, bread, breakfast cereal, instant noodles, shampoo, lipstick, candles, detergents, chocolate and ice cream. Only 35 percent of palm growers that are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil are actually certified by the RSPO. Learn how your comment data is processed. In 2012 the UK Government recognised that we were part of the palm oil problem and could also be part of the solution. Palm oil ranks among the U.S. Department of Labor’s top four worst industries for forced and child labor. Please support us! Palm oil is in nearly everything – it’s in close to 50% of the packaged products we find in supermarkets, everything from pizza, doughnuts and chocolate, to deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and lipstick. This is where you come in. This forest loss coupled with conversion of carbon rich peat soils are throwing out millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contributing to climate change. In November 2018 the RSPO standard was strengthened and it now represents an essential tool that can help companies achieve their commitments to palm oil that is free of deforestation, expansion on peat, exploitation and the use of fire. The oil palm fruit is unique in producing two oils. With the growth in demand for palm oil, current sourcing practices are not sustainable. Palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species like the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino. However, one study found that, when consumed as part of a balanced diet, “Palm oil … Palm oil is a natural semi-solid oil. RSPO represents the largest, independent, third-party standard for. Only with all of these ingredients can we start to accelerate the shift to a mainstream sustainable palm oil industry. What is it used for? It is mainly used in the food industry but also in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and agrofuels. … It is estimated that 1,000 orangutans are killed a year, a major factor in these deaths being forest clearing for palm production. Originally found in West Africa, the oil palm tree is now mostly cultivated in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s largest palm oil-producing nations. Boycotting palm oil is not always the answer, but demanding more action to tackle the issues and go further and faster, is. There also remains some exploitation of workers and child labour. Crude palm oil which is orange red in color is refined, bleached and deodorized to produce the universally known bright golden oil. Here’s what you need to know. Palm oil development allows easy access for poachers into exposed habitats that have been cleared for plantations. 5. Tropical peat lands store up to 10 times more carbon than “mineral soil,” meaning draining and planting on peat lands is up to 10 times more detrimental to the environment. 2. However, cru… The trees originally came from west and south-west Africa, but they were introduced to … How About Milk Destruction: The Shocking Truth About the Dairy Industry and the Environment, A Look Into How Life for Captive Orcas Differs From Their Wild Counterparts. There is no other vegetable oil on the planet that shows up in such a vast array of consumer goods, making consumers unknowingly complicit in horrific crimes against animals, people, and the environment. It is a tropical tree with leaves about 5 meters long. Palm oil is obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. 1. Oil palms grow in tropical climates with plenty of water, which is why they thrive best in the rainforest. The Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (1939) is … Palm oil is the #1 most consumed vegetable oil worldwide. Palm oil is used for preventing and treating vitamin A deficiency. How the Food We Feed Farm Animals Is Destroying the Environment, 10 Documentaries to Watch in 2021 to Live More Mindfully and Healthfully on this Planet, The Disappearing Bees And What You Can Do To Help, Nutrients Your Dog Needs and How to Tell if They’re Getting Them, Ditching Palm Oil Can Save Orangutans and Elephants – Here are Easy 3 Tips to Start, How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar Internally to Relieve Inflammation, 10 Vegan Folic Acid Supplements for Healthy Cell Production, 5 Foods That Lower Your Blood Sugar Quickly, 15 Plant-Based Recipes With 20 Grams of Protein. So start reading and share with everyone you know! 6. At this rate, by 2050, oil palm plantation expansion could cover between 18.3 and 53 million ha (45.2 and 130.9 million acres) (Corley 2009)! …Gezo promoted the export of palm oil, produced by slave labour on royal plantations, as a substitute for the declining slave trade. 9. Nearly 45 million people live in the forests of Indonesia. Indonesia has currently cleared around six million hectares of tropical peat forest…they have plans to expand by four million more hectares by 2015. Along with other organisations, we play an active role in influencing and shaping the RSPO standard to make sure it puts in place more safeguards for people and the planet. People have valued oil palms for thousands of years. Palm oil has many benefits, which is why it’s in high demand. It inhibits the chances of cancers such as stomach, skin, lung, pancreas, breast, liver, lung, colon and prostate cancer. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It prevents neurological degeneration. RSPO represents the largest, independent, third-party standard for the more sustainable production of palm oil. Palm oil is made from the fruits of trees called African oil palms. Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Displacement of indigenous peoples, deforestation and loss of biodiversity are all consequences of our palm oil consumption. Adopt an animal today and help protect some of our most endangered wildlife and support other vital work around our planet. Sign up to be kept informed about our conservation work and how you can help such as fundraising, campaigning and events. The Hard Facts As the global demand for palm oil has increased, so has the extent of land under oil palm cultivation. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has set bold guidelines to help reform the palm oil industry, promoting transparency, fair labor, and strict environmental standards. The simple answer to this is “People are not aware about it” less awareness leads to myths & misconceptions. It’s also used in animal feed and as a biofuel in many parts of the world (not in the UK though!). However, there is a dark side to the booming palm oil industry. There are sustainable methods for producing palm oil that do not involve deforestation, human rights abuses, or animal deaths. RSPO standards allow growers to plant on peat lands and to clear secondary forests. In 2006, at least 1,500 orangutans were clubbed to death by palm workers. In the late 1800s, archaeologists discovered a substance in a tomb at Abydos that they concluded was originally palm oil … Join us and you can help stop the illegal wildlife trade and tackle other threats facing our natural world. It is just a matter of holding corporations accountable for making positive change. “There is growing literature starting to disentangle the beliefs of consumers regarding palm oil and palm oil products – in 2019 one study found that palm-oil free products are perceived to be ‘healthier’ and more eco-friendly by consumers, yet the same study also found a gap of actual knowledge regarding palm oil amongst the studied consumers,” she said. (Bloomberg) --Palm oil prices are set to have their best annual showing in a decade even as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. Palm oil provides an income for millions of people and allows them to afford food, medical care and education for their children. The RSPO has a production standard that sets best practices producing and sourcing palm oil, and it has the buy-in of most of the global industry. Due to the palm oil plantation, Indonesia had the highest rate of deforestation in the world. What products is it in? 8. In 2016 75% of the total palm oil imports to the UK were sustainable. Making informed consumer decisions is an amazing way to influence corporations to change for the better. Palm oil can be produced more sustainably and things can change. Sign up for daily news from OneGreenPlanet. In fact, according to Palm Oil Consumers Action, most Americans “have never heard of palm oil,” let alone understand the complex global conflicts its production has created! Palm oil is an extremely versatile oil that has many different properties and functions which makes it so useful and so widely used. These are serious issues that the whole palm oil sector needs to step up to address because it doesn’t have to be this way. Myths & Facts About Palm Oil (On the other hand, palm kernel oil comes from the fruit’s seed.) All of palm oil’s calories come from fat. View our Cookie Policy for more information, Sign up to get the latest WWF news delivered straight to your inbox. Malaysian Oil Palm Area (mil ha) Contrary to NGOs’ claim that millions of hectares of rainforest are felled annually for oil palm, the fact is that Malaysia’s oil palm area stood at 5 mil ha, an increase of only 4.36 mil ha in the last 35 years! In Asian and African countries, palm oil is used widely as a cooking oil, just like we might use sunflower or olive oil here. 10. There are only 6,300 Sumatran orangutans left. 3. It’s a source of huge profits for multinational corporations, while at the same time destroying the livelihoods of smallholders. Palm oil is in nearly everywhere – it’s in close to 50% of products then why there is a fuss about it. Check out our new WWF Palm oil Scorecard to see which of your favourite brands and retailers are committed to sustainable palm oil free of deforestation and destruction of nature. You can unsubscribe at any time. The Indonesia oil palm community touches all 17 of the goals, but there are 12 goals in particular, where Indonesia palm oil is making a difference. How Does Eating Meat Impact Your Water Footprint? Palm Oil Fact Sheet Palm oil is a globally traded agricultural commodity that is used in 50 percent of all consumer goods, from lipstick and packaged food to body lotion and biofuels. Palm oil is literally everywhere – in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuels. Sugar Gliders are Adorable, But They Don’t Belong in Your Pocket! Its fatty acid breakdown is … Palm oil is healthy. Nutrient Composition. Palm oil makes up about 10% of all Indonesian exports and 5% of Malaysia’s, making it their most important agricultural export. This 2013 article by Benjamin Skinner, illustrates the deep seeds of human rights abuses prevalent in the palm industry. 6. One tablespoon of palm oil contains 55 percent of the daily recommendation of saturated fat. Join the fight to end deforestation. The differences are in color (raw palm kernel oil lacks carotenoids and is not red), and in saturated fatcontent: palm mesocarp oil is 49% saturated, while palm kernel oil and coconut oil are 81% and 86% saturated fats, respectively. 20 must-know facts about palm oil 1. Oil palm trees are native to Africa but were brought to South-East Asia just over 100 years ago as an ornamental tree crop. It is the richest source of vitamin E tocotrienols, which support brain and … As the result, it is estimated that the Sumatran tiger population will be extinct in LESS than three years if nothing is done to protect their habitat or combat poachers. Palm oil is popular in processed foods as it is free from trans fats and contains natural antioxidants such as vitamins A and E. However it … Palm oil comes from the fruit of oil palms. Our palm oil scorecard shows that many of the foods we eat are still contributing to deforestation. Millions of people’s livelihoods are dependent on this business. Between 1989 and 2000 the area covered by oil palms in Indonesia more than tripled, and the country now has over 6 million hectares of oil palm plantations. If you want to read more about Palm Oil and some detailed research, visit our Page, The link: https://www.truefoodsblog.com/articles/palm-oil-production-a-brief-overview-and-how-to-take-action-on-climate-change_1/, Deck the Halls With These 30 Vegan Main Dishes for Christmas, Homemade Coconut Sour Cream [Vegan, Gluten-Free], How to Choose a Ripe Winter Squash (and Avoid the Bad Ones in the Bunch! The Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil or RSPO was formed in 2004 in response to increasing concerns about the impacts palm oil was having on the environment and on society. Grown only in the tropics, the oil palm tree produces high-quality oil used primarily for cooking in developing countries. Palm oil is obtained from the fleshy mesocarp and palm kernel oil from the seed, usually in a ratio of ten to one. Palm oil is in nearly everything – it’s in close to 50% of the packaged … Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because of a high beta-carotene content. In the past 10 years, the orangutan population has decreased by 50 percent as the result of habitat loss from forest clearing for palm plantations. There are more than 15 million hectares of oil palm plantations worldwide. There is no denying that palm oil gets a lot of bad press…and rightly so! We use cookies to analyse how visitors use our website and to help us provide the best possible experience for users. As a greater awareness is brought to the injustices of palm oil production, there is a greater push for change. We need your help to give rangers the strength and safety they need, and to tackle poaching and demand for products like ivory. It’s an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees, the scientific name is Elaeis guineensis. However, there are still a number of problems in implementing and regulating the RSPO standards and some corporations that have joined the Roundtable have yet to actually adopt better practices. Palm oil can be produced more sustainably and things can change. Oil palm is cultivated in the countryside of tropical … So Let’s check some interesting facts and myths of palm oil people don’t know about. One tablespoon of palm oil contains 55 percent of the daily recommendation of saturated fat. 2. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil derived from the kernel of the same fruit or coconut oil derived from the kernel of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). As well as committing to buy and use RSPO certified palm oil across their operations globally, we encourage companies to be transparent in their use and sourcing of palm oil ensuring they know who they are buying from and where it’s been produced, and to invest in and support smallholder programmes and sustainable landscape initiatives. Find out more about this product with these palm oil facts. Oil palm contributes to rural development. It’s cheap to mass-produce and easy to use. When the oil palm trees are three to four years old the fruits are harvested. Support the work of these organizations to help spread the word about palm and make a change. Palm oil is high in saturated fat. By reading and sharing these facts about palm oil, you are helping to educate the many consumers that still do not know that they eat palm oil everyday. We need your help to fix our destructive food system. Only with all of these ingredients can we start to accelerate the shift to a mainstream sustainable palm oil industry. Although the deforestation of the rainforest is endangering both animals and humans alike, the palm oil industry continues to grow. Naturally, the palm oil has this red colour because of its compositions. Two types of oil can be produced; crude palm oil comes from squeezing the fleshy fruit, and palm kernel oil which comes from crushing the kernel, or the stone in the middle of the fruit. Oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis) are native to West Africa. Palm oil is the number one produced edible oil in the world; its popularity is largely due to it not containing trans fats. It is found in about half of all household products, from processed foods … Palm oil is a small ingredient in the U.S. diet, but more than half of all packaged products Americans consume contain palm oil—it’s found in lipstick, soaps, detergents and even ice cream. In Indonesia, the palm oil industry is responsible for about 5,000 land and human rights conflicts. The traditional export of palm oil and palm kernels remains important. Why don’t we just switch to an alternative vegetable oil? Palm oil is an incredibly efficient crop, producing more oil per land area than any other equivalent vegetable oil crop. ), Magnesium: How to Get Enough and Which Foods Are Best, Milk Life? Palm oil has a high saturated fat content, which can be harmful to cardiovascular health. It seems that palm oil is not really harmful to … Palm oil’s effects on our health are contested. 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