Palm Oil

Palm oil is made from the fruit of the African oil palm. It has been a necessary form of oil for millennia, but it has become one of the world’s most extensively produced oils in recent decades. This is owing to palm oil’s versatility: it’s semi-solid at room temperature so that it can be used as a spread; it’s oxidation-resistant so that it can help products last longer; and it can withstand high temperatures, making it perfect for frying.

Palm oil extraction has led to deforestation and habitat destruction for orangutans, elephants, and rhinos.