Palm Oil

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the reddish pulp of the fruit of the African oil palm, used in food manufacturing, beauty products and as biofuel; it accounted for about 36 percent of global oils produced from oil crops in 2017, and because it is easier to stabilize and maintain consistent flavor and texture in ultra-processed foods, it is frequently favored by food manufacturers. Globally, humans consumed an average of 7.7 kilograms of palm oil per person in 2015, and demand has also grown for cosmetics and biofuel uses, encouraging the expansion of palm oil plantations across tropical countries; the mass production of palm oil is a significant concern for environmental and human rights groups, since the industry is a major contributor to tropical deforestation.