If you’ve heard of palm oil, you’ve probably heard it’s bad for the environment. But the truth is it doesn’t have to be. If it’s grown sustainably, palm oil production can benefit local communities, and help to protect valuable species and forests. By using sustainable practices, farmers can increase their income by making more palm oil from less land.
When palm oil is grown unsustainably it can have a big impact on local people and the environment. Impacts can include: large-scale forest conversion, loss of critical habitat for endangered species including orangutans, rhinos, elephants and Sumatran tigers, soil erosion, soil and water pollution, eviction of forest-dwelling people and social conflict in communities.