Giving Up Palm Oil Might Actually Be Bad For The Environment

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Did you know that giving up palm oil might actually be bad for the environment? Listen to this episode to learn more about palm oil production's hidden costs and how it impacts our planet.

Palm oil comes from the fruit of this tree, which is imaginatively named the "oil palm". Both the fruit flesh and the kernel can produce oil. And palm oil provides a healthy alternative to trans fats: it's relatively thick and solid, and so can be used in a wide range of foods with long shelf lives, without the harms caused by trans fats. Aside from foods like cookies and margarine, you'll also find palm oil in the cosmetics aisle, whether that's in your mascara or your lipstick thanks to its texture and moisturizing properties. Oh, and don't forget it can give your soap its foam or your candles their flame. Overall, 68% of palm oil is used for food, 27% is used for cosmetics, detergents and other industrial products and 5% for biofuels.