Palm oil has been used in West African cooking for millennia. It first hit the international circuit when British sailors recognized its convenience on long sailing trips in 1917 and is now grown all over the tropics, including the Amazon.

Does palm oil come from the Amazon?

So far, however, palm oil production has been almost exclusively limited to the Amazonian state of Pará. This region offers an ideal climate of heat, sun and rain throughout the year, as well as cheaper land prices than the more agriculturally-developed, drier and more seasonal Cerrado region.

Why is palm oil grown in the Amazon?

The warm, humid climate of the tropics offers perfect growth conditions for oil palms. Day after day, huge tracts of rainforest in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa are being bulldozed or torched to make room for more plantations, releasing vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

Where is palm oil grown mostly?

Oil palm trees are native to Africa but were brought to South-East Asia just over 100 years ago as an ornamental tree crop. Now, Indonesia and Malaysia make up over 85% of global supply but there are 42 other countries that also produce palm oil.

How much of the Amazon is cut down for palm oil?

The report comes a year after a study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that 72 percent of oil palm expansion in the Peruvian Amazon since 2000 has come at the expense of forest.

Where do you get palm oil?

Many vast monocrop oil palm plantations have displaced tropical forests across Asia, Latin America and West Africa. Around 90% of the world's oil palm trees are grown on a few islands in Malaysia and Indonesia – islands with the most biodiverse tropical forests found on Earth.

Who are the biggest producers of palm oil?

Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil, followed by Malaysia — both countries account for 84% of the worlds palm production. There has recently been an increase in palm oil production in South America via Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala.

Why is palm oil so bad for you?

Compared to other liquid oils, palm oil is relatively high in saturated fats. Palm oil is about 34% saturated fat, while olive oil is less than half of that. Saturated fats are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and chronic health conditions.