Is our Palm Oil Sustainable?

Malaysian Palm Oil

An important factor to consider when once talks about sustainability is - the source of the crude palm oil. The source (where the palm trees are planted and harvested) is important.

There are three primary producing regions: Peninsula Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia.

In Peninsular Malaysia, all crude palm oil plantations are on existing crop land (more than 20 years old). There are no sustainability issues with palm oil from Peninsular Malaysia, as growers in that region observe sustainable plantation practices. There is no deforestation in Peninsular Malaysia.

Palm oil from Peninsular Malaysia does not come from palm trees grown on new plantations or plantations from cleared rain forest, which is more prevalent in Indonesia and Borneo. 

And here are other facts about Malaysian Palm oil :-

i) Oil palm plantations in Malaysia occupy less than 13% of Malaysia’s land area.

ii) Malaysia currently maintains more than 50 percent of its land under forest cover.

iii) Since 1990, Malaysian government has banned the opening up of new forest for agriculture.

iv) Oil Palm is the most efficient oil-bearing crop in the world

v) Land area – Oil palm occupies 5% world’s total area but provides 30% global oil production. For a similar output, soybean cultivation would require 42% of total area.

vi) Palm Oil is the Least Expensive Vegetable Oil to Produce compared to soybean or canola oil.

vii) Oil palm oxygenates the atmosphere more efficiently.