Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. It’s used in everything from food to makeup. But how much do you really know about it? And is palm oil vegan?
Yes, palm oil is technically vegan. It’s derived from the fruit of the Elaeis guineensis, or oil palm tree (which is a member of the palm tree family, but probably not the kind you’re used to seeing!). This same tree also gives us palm kernel oil (derived from the fruit’s kernel).
Below, we’ll look at what palm oil is used for and go beyond the technicalities to see if there’s any point at which palm oil becomes problematic for a vegan diet.
Should Vegans Use Palm Oil?
Talk about a tricky question! And it will depend on your own ethics.
The oil itself is definitely vegan, and it’s one of the most common edible fats produced in the world. If you think you’ve never had it, you may want to think again.
Palm oil is present in vegetable oil, shortening, and margarine, so if you like baked goods, you’ve likely had it.Â
Now, the reason palm oil isn’t particularly popular on its own (at least not anymore) is that it’s very high in saturated fat, which leads to high “bad” cholesterol (the LDL number). This is a risk factor for cardiac disease. In fact, palm oil has so much saturated fat that it’s semi-solid at room temperature.
Despite all this, it’s still totally vegan. The issues come in when you look at how palm oil is produced. It’s tied to some serious sustainability issues, and the demand for palm oil has decimated landscapes to make way for palm oil tree fields.
The palm oil industry contributes to deforestation, the displacement of humans and animals (the habitat destruction of orangutans being particularly devastating), and the overall loss of biodiversity in areas in Africa where the tree is native. It’s hard to reconcile these facts with veganism’s core tenet of reducing harm to living creatures.
How Do I Know If Palm Oil Is In My Food?
Because it is so ubiquitous, it’s hard to avoid palm oil. And because it has earned some bad PR over the years, it may be a “hidden” ingredient in some foods.
Above, we noted that it could be inside vegetable oil and that the tree also produces palm kernel oil, but palm oil can also be listed under different names as well, including (but not limited to):
- Palm fruit oil
- Palmate
- Palmitate
- Palm olein
- Stearate
Why is Palm Oil Used If It’s So Environmentally Destructive?
Let’s be honest. Most of us know the answer to this question is about money. But we should be honest about our role as consumers in this cycle too.
Palm oil is part of 40% of the worldwide vegetable oil supply. And we like fats and oils because they make our food taste good.Â
And palm oil is an efficient crop, meaning it needs less land than other vegetable oils. So to make enough of any other oil would require deforesting millions of acres of other land. That creates a whole new problem.
There are also millions of small farmers who earn their living and keep their families fed with their palm oil tree plantations. Our desire for oil has built this system, and boycotting (which is still any person’s right to do) would destroy their livelihoods.
On the other hand, palm oil production has often been linked to the exploitation of workers and the infringement of indigenous people’s rights.
Many workers in the industry suffer from poor working conditions, inadequate pay, and even child labor. These issues are relevant to those who see veganism as a broader commitment to justice and harm reduction.
How Can We Make Palm Oil More Vegan-Friendly?
There’s no easy answer to the question of how to make a more ethical palm oil. But there are hard answers, and they generally lie in finding ways to make the system more sustainable over a longer period of time.
That might mean trying to curb any growing need for palm oil while trying to find ways to let the industry repair its environmental footprint.
But remember, palm oil is also in other products, like cosmetics, cleaning products, and even biofuels! All of those industries need to find sustainable ways of using problematic products. But as a vegan, you can start by trying to avoid the products that use palm oil by reading labels and raising awareness of the situation.
Organizations like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have established standards for sustainable palm oil production to prevent deforestation and safeguard workers’ rights. Consider looking for products certified by these organizations to help mitigate the negative impacts of palm oil production.
Summary
Palm oil is a vegan product, but it’s not an eco-friendly one. Depending on how you define your commitment to veganism, you may choose to include or exclude it.
However, it’s important to remember what makes palm oil problematic. Consumer demand drives change, so while our desire for palm oil has gotten us here, our desire to see it become more sustainable can be a vegan-friendly way forward. Â
