The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a tropical tree originally from West Africa, now cultivated on a massive scale across Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. It produces dense bunches of small fruits, each containing an oily flesh (mesocarp) surrounding a hard kernel — both of which yield distinct oils.
Palm oil is the world’s most produced vegetable oil, found in roughly half of all packaged supermarket products — from cooking oils and margarine to biscuits, ice cream, soap, and cosmetics. Palm kernel oil, extracted from the seed, is used mainly in processed foods and industrial applications.
Oil palm is extraordinarily productive per hectare compared to other oilseed crops, which is part of why it dominates global supply. However, its expansion has driven significant tropical deforestation, particularly in Borneo and Sumatra, making it one of the most environmentally contentious crops in the modern food system.
How it's produced
Oil palms are grown on large-scale plantations in tropical regions within roughly 10 degrees of the equator. Trees begin producing fruit around three to four years after planting and remain productive for 25 to 30 years. The fruit bunches, which can weigh 20 to 30 kilograms each, are harvested by hand using long poles with cutting blades.
After harvest, the fruit must be processed quickly to prevent degradation. At palm oil mills, the fruit is sterilised with steam, the flesh is mechanically pressed to extract crude palm oil, and the kernels are separated and cracked to extract palm kernel oil. Certification schemes such as RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) attempt to address deforestation and labour concerns, though their effectiveness is debated.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for vegetable oils, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
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