Take quiz about palm oil Take quiz

What happens if we boycott palm oil?

Contents

Palm oil is derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree, primarily grown in tropical regions like Malaysia and Indonesia. It is prized for its versatility, efficiency, and ability to remain stable at high temperatures, making it a key ingredient in many products. What makes palm oil particularly unique is its land efficiency—compared to other vegetable oils like soy or sunflower, palm oil yields far more oil per hectare, using less land overall.

Why Do People Dislike Palm Oil?

The primary concern surrounding palm oil is its association with deforestation, particularly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As demand for palm oil grew, vast areas of tropical forests were cleared for plantations, threatening wildlife, especially in Southeast Asia. One of the most notable campaigns highlighting these concerns was Iceland’s Rang-tan advert in 2018, which featured an orangutan displaced from its home due to palm oil-driven deforestation. The advert struck an emotional chord, portraying the impact of palm oil production on biodiversity, and fuelled calls for a boycott.

What Happens if You Boycott Palm Oil?

At first glance, boycotting palm oil might seem like an easy solution to combat deforestation. However, palm oil is uniquely efficient in its production, making it far less land-intensive than alternatives. Replacing palm oil with other vegetable oils would result in significantly higher environmental costs. In fact, palm oil is 4 to 10 times more land-efficient than other major oil crops such as soy, rapeseed, and sunflower. A transition to these alternatives would require much more agricultural land, leading to even greater deforestation.

According to a recent study published in ScienceDirect, eliminating palm oil could result in 52 million hectares of deforestation, as less efficient crops would have to replace palm oil to meet global demand. This would not only exacerbate deforestation but would also push biodiversity loss into new regions, spreading the problem rather than solving it.

Hannah Ritchie from Our World in Data highlights that boycotting palm oil would shift the environmental burden to other crops. The expansion of land needed for alternatives would have devastating effects, particularly in areas already under pressure from agricultural demands. Palm oil’s high yield per hectare makes it the least damaging option for vegetable oil production, and losing this advantage would intensify global environmental challenges.

The Pragmatic Solution

Rather than boycotting palm oil, a more effective approach is to support sustainable palm oil production. Certified sustainable palm oil initiatives, like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO), promote environmentally responsible practices, including deforestation-free production and protection of biodiversity. By choosing products that use sustainably sourced palm oil, consumers can contribute to reducing environmental harm without exacerbating global land use problems.

In conclusion, boycotting palm oil may seem like a solution to environmental concerns, but its broader impacts are far more harmful. Supporting sustainable palm oil offers a balanced, pragmatic path that addresses deforestation while ensuring palm oil’s efficiency is maintained.

FAQS