Palm oil is very controversial food. It has many health benefits but it creates environmental concerns related to the steady increase in its production. Palm oil comes from a fruit of the oil palms,in recent years, oil palm growth has expanded to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia. These two countries currently produce more than 80% of the world's palm oil supply . It is least expensive and most popular oil worldwide. It is used in lipstick, pizza dough, instant noodles, shampoos, ice cream, detergent, margarine, chocolate, cookies, biodiesels, soaps, packaged bread and etc.
An new analysis found that 45% of land in Southeast Asia currently used for palm oil production had been forest back in 1990, including more than half of all palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. This affects many of the wildlife like endangered species like Bornean orangutans, which are facing extinction due to habitat loss .There have also been reports of human rights violations by palm oil corporations, such as clearing farmlands and forests without permission, paying low wages, providing unsafe working conditions and significantly reducing the quality of life. Recently, an Orangutan named Hope was found shot and blinded by 74 air pellets, but her baby had died of malnourishment.
How can we combat this? If we stop using palm oil food in our cafeterias and if we start using more palm oil-free food, we could help people and animals all the way in southeast Asia.
Sources from WWF
