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The palm oil industry has played a big role in our global economy, but as of recently – our newfound environmental and social challenges have raised concerns if this worldwide economically beneficial industry is good for the environment moving forward.
Often found in everyday products and helping to provide millions of jobs, the palm oil industry is continuing to grow – but should it?
In this article, we’ll explain what the palm oil industry is, the pros and cons of the industry, why the palm oil industry is bad for the environment, and potential alternatives to the use of palm oil.
The palm oil industry refers to the production and distribution of palm oil, or an edible vegetable oil – often used in products for everyday consumption like pantry food items, toiletries, cleaning products, and even biofuels.
Palm oil is predominantly used in food as a preservative in pantry items such as peanut butter, noodles, chocolate or other baked goods – but is also used in other household products like shampoo, soap, body or hand lotions, and toothpaste.
More often than not, palm oil is not a necessity in these everyday household items – as the palm industry can pose health risks to humans in addition to proving detrimental for the planet and current social predicaments.
The palm oil industry works by:
💡 If you’re trying to avoid palm oil products when shopping, be sure to try and read the labels carefully – as palm oil can often be disguised under different names such as palm fruit oil, palm kernel, vegetable oil, sodium kernelate, and more.
The palm oil industry is controversial seeing as there are several pros and cons to the palm industry – with some of the benefits including being able to provide numerous jobs and prolong the shelf-life of various products, but the consequences include the environmental damage caused by the industry.
Palm oil is beneficial in the sense that it can help to boost the economy and extend the life of your everyday household products, but it may come at a cost – as the palm oil industry has an impact on the planet and potentially our health.
The palm oil industry is essential for global trade and helping to boost the economies for countries with lower incomes – but the cons of the palm oil industry are beginning to raise concerns and cause stakeholders to reconsider if the potential setbacks in the long-term are worth the benefits palm oil provides.
Some of the pros of the palm oil industry include:
However, some of the consequences of the palm oil industry include:
The palm oil industry is bad for the environment because it contributes to deforestation, compromised air quality, and excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
There are several ways in which palm oil industry creates a substantial negative impact on the environment:
However, it isn’t just the environmental impacts created by the palm oil industry that are worrisome – but the social injustices that have been made more prominent as a result of the palm oil industry.
👉 The palm oil industry has not only had a negative impact on the environment, but on social issues – as the industry has accentuated issues with working rights such as human rights and various conflicts between surrounding communities and palm oil production sites.
Given the negative environmental effects of palm oil, many presume that the automatic answer should be to stop producing palm oil entirely – but this could create catastrophic consequences on its own. This is because millions of people, especially in southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, rely on palm oil for their gross domestic product and overall livelihood.
Therefore, one of the best solutions to help reduce the negative impact created by the palm oil industry is to diversify the types of oils used in everyday products and also mitigate deforestation for future palm oil production sites.
It isn’t the actual palm oil that is most detrimental to the planet, but the tactics used to produce palm oil in the first place – meaning the palm oil industry should seek to alter its process to be more sustainable.
This is imperative seeing as if the palm oil industry were to shut down tomorrow, the economic repercussions would prove difficult to handle – making the sustainable production of palm oil a happy medium for all.
Here are some of the ways the palm oil industry is likely to evolve in the coming years:
👉 Overall, the future of the palm oil industry will likely evolve as a result for the need for greater sustainability efforts in conjunction with shifting market dynamics – both of which can help propel the palm industry into a more sustainable future.
Luckily, there are ways the palm oil industry can reduce their impact on the environment without needing to shut down operations entirely – such as by seeking to use products which refrain from the use of palm oil or serious adjustments to the production of palm oil itself.
The palm oil industry is responsible for making the necessary adjustments to reduce its current environmental impact, but every consumer can help encourage the palm oil industry to make these adjustments by refraining from purchasing products that contain palm oils.
Here are some ideas for both the industry and consumers alike to mitigate the negative impacts associated with the use of palm oils:
If reading this article about the palm oil industry and how it is bad for the environment has inspired you to consider your company’s own carbon footprint, Greenly can help.
At Greenly we can help you to assess your company’s carbon footprint, and then give you the tools you need to cut down on emissions. We offer a free demo for you to better understand our platform and all that it has to offer – including assistance with boosting supplier engagement, personalized assistance, and new ways to involve your employees.
Learn more about Greenly’s carbon management platform here.