Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the African oil palm tree.  The majority of all palm oil is grown and produced in Indonesia and Malaysia in large monoculture plantations. 

The fruit of the oil palm tree is harvested and taken to palm oil processing plants where the oil is extracted and separated to form either palm kernel oil or standard palm oil.

The Fruit From                                  Palm Oil After

the Oil Palm Tree                                Processing

Palm oil is the second-most widely produced edible oil, behind soybean oil and is used in many foods (chips, ice-cream, fried fast foods), cosmetics (lip sticks, skin creams), bath products (body scrubs, soaps).  It has more recently been promoted as feedstock for making biodiesel to power our transport fuel needs.

The products below contain palm oil or a palm oil derived product (verified: 03/04/2007)

As you read more about the issues, you'll learn that palm oil is responsible for environmental destruction, increased greenhouse gas emissions and social injustices