palm oil facts for kids

Palm oil is a common cooking ingredient in the tropical belt of Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of Brazil. There are more than 15 million hectares of oil palm plantations worldwide. How to Get Natural and Fortified Vitamin D From Plant-Based Foods. Need a Last Minute Holiday Gift? Like coconut oil, palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature. The oil extraction rate from a bunch varies from 17 to 27% for palm oil, and from 4 to 10% for palm kernels. Nearly 45 million people live in the forests of Indonesia. Along with coconut oil, palm oil is one of the few highly saturated vegetable fats and is semisolid at room temperature. 15 Meaty Plant-Based Recipes for the Holidays. It is made from the fruit of oil palms. 2. However, there are still a number of problems in implementing and regulating the RSPO standards and some corporations that have joined the Roundtable have yet to actually adopt better practices. The palm oil industry has many negative effects upon a variety of sectors which include: the environment, health, and politics. Tropical peat lands store up to 10 times more carbon than “mineral soil,” meaning draining and planting on peat lands is up to 10 times more detrimental to the environment. Already some industry leaders are working to develop "sustainable palm oil" that meets certain criteria to ensure that its production did not result in deforestation or hurt wildlife. Many industrial food applications of palm oil use fractionated components of palm oil (often listed as "modified palm oil") whose saturation levels can reach 90%; these "modified" palm oils can become highly saturated, but are not necessarily hydrogenated. Tens of millions of Indonesians rely directly on rainforests for their livelihoods. This has resulted in significant acreage losses of the natural habitat of the three surviving species of orangutan. Soybeans, in contrast, need about 10 times as much land to produce a ton of soybean oil. Clearing one hectare (about two square acres) of peat forest can release 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide. In 2006, at least 1,500 orangutans were clubbed to death by palm workers. These are just some of the tragedies that play out for more than just palm oil production but all across the supply chains for the products that line our grocery store aisles. Each "~" indicates a missing or incomplete value. Palm oil fact sheet Q. 8. This is a mature palm plantation that’s reaching the end of life. Palm oil block showing the lighter color that results from boiling. When the oil palm trees are three to four years old the fruits are harvested. Palm oil development allows easy access for poachers into exposed habitats that have been cleared for plantations. Most palms are native to tropical and subtropical climates. RSPO standards allow growers to plant on peat lands and to clear secondary forests. Source: Nutrient data for this listing was provided by USDA SR-21. Benin City is the site of the University of Benin (1970). Why don’t we just switch to an alternative vegetable oil? What is palm oil? The Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (1939) is here. Palm oil is the world’s first certified sustainable vegetable oil. Learn how your comment data is processed. Palm oil is used for preventing and treating vitamin A deficiency. Palms thrive in moist and hot climates, however, they can be found in many different habitats. However, crude red palm oil that has been refined, bleached and deodorized, a common commodity called RBD palm oil, does not contain carotenoids. Got the Winter Blues? 10 Perfect Christmas Pot Pie Recipes Made Vegan! It is estimated that 1,000 orangutans are killed a year, a major factor in these deaths being forest clearing for palm production. The Facts. Palm oil ranks among the U.S. Department of Labor’s top four worst industries for forced and child labor. It is estimated that 33% of all the products in your local supermarket contain palm oil - that’s a lot of products! The way people get MCT oil from coconut or palm kernel oil is through a process called fractionation. Palm Oil Indonesia is home to some of the most rich and biodiverse rainforest in the world. Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because of a high beta-carotene content. The Hard Facts As the global demand for palm oil has increased, so has the extent of land under oil palm cultivation. The oil palm produces bunches containing a large number of fruits with the fleshy mesocarp enclosing a kernel that is covered by a very hard shell. It contains over 80 endemic species and some of the world’s most unique and iconic endangered wildlife such as the orangutan, elephant and tiger. 7. Meaning the other 65 percent pay to be “members,” but have taken no action to adhere to the RSPO guidelines in their growing practices. 20 facts you have to know about palm oil 1. Support the work of these organizations to help spread the word about palm and make a change. The use of palm oil in food products has attracted the concern of environmental activist groups; the high oil yield of the trees has encouraged wider cultivation, leading to the clearing of forests in parts of Indonesia to make space for oil-palm monoculture. Pop. Their diversity is highest in wet, lowland forests. 1. In Indonesia, the palm oil industry is responsible for about 5,000 land and human rights conflicts. As the result, it is estimated that the Sumatran tiger population will be extinct in LESS than three years if nothing is done to protect their habitat or combat poachers. Palm trees are a botanical family of perennial lianas, shrubs, and trees. Can Horse Carriages Ever Really Be Romantic? Palm oil is a vegetable oil. 5. Every second, 1600 litres are produced in the world. Crushing and extracting the oil from the fruit of the tree produces palm oil. Originally found in West Africa, the oil palm tree is now mostly cultivated in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world’s largest palm oil-producing nations. In 2011, Wilmar (one of the world’s largest palm oil producers) bulldozers ransacked an entire village, destroying 40 homes to clear 40,000 hectares of land for a palm plantation. 6. Between 1989 and 2000 the area covered by oil palms in Indonesia more than tripled, and the country now has over 6 million hectares of oil palm plantations. Image source: Marco Schmidt / Wikipedia Commons. These changes are irreversible for all practical purposes (H). Palm oil threatens forest peoples. In total this is equivalent to about 50,6 million … Please support us! A satellite image showing deforestation in Malaysian Borneo to allow the plantation of oil palm. Palm oil is gained from the fruit of the oil palm and used mainly in the production of food, cosmetics and fuel. Palm oil is also cheaper than other types of oils. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms, primarily the African oil palm, and to a lesser extent from the American oil palm and the maripa palm. You will be … However, its melting point is 95°F (35°C), which is considerably higher than 76°F (24°C) for coconut oil. This is where you come in. Palm oil is kind of vegetable oil made from the fruits of trees called oil palms. A. The oil palm tree grows in regions around the equator. [6] Palm oil causes climate change It’s a source of huge profits for multinational corporations, while at the same time destroying the livelihoods of smallholders. Displacement of indigenous peoples, deforestation and loss of biodiversity are all consequences of our palm oil consumption. Making informed consumer decisions is an amazing way to influence corporations to change for the better. Adopt Don’t Shop! It is a tropical tree with leaves about 5 meters long. It is often used for cooking purposes. Daytime eaters, their diet consists mostly of fruit and leaves – but they also eat nuts, bark, insects … Palm oil is an incredibly efficient crop, … [5] A single palm oil plantation can destroy the forests, watersheds, and forest resources of thousands of Indonesians, leaving entire forest communities to face poverty, many for the first time. Palm kernel oil is used in food products such as margarine, ice cream, chocolate confections, and baked goods; it also is used in pharmaceuticals. Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms, primarily the African oil palm, and to a lesser extent from the American oil palm and the maripa palm. As a greater awareness is brought to the injustices of palm oil production, there is a greater push for change. Palm oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fruit of a tree called, … 10 Amazing Videos of Ocean Conservationists Interacting with Sharks. One species in particular, the Sumatran orangutan, has been listed as critically endangered. There is no denying that palm oil gets a lot of bad press…and rightly so! 2. Only 35 percent of palm growers that are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil are actually certified by the RSPO. ), Zoochosis and the Many Ways We Have Failed Zoo Animals, Photo of Pit Bull Who Used to Be Kept in a Crate and Abused for Fights Proves There Is Always Hope, Banana and Peanut Butter Flapjacks [Vegan, Gluten-Free], Watch Beautiful Moment Injured Elephant Calf Is Reunited With Mom After Horrible Snare Accident (VIDEO), Monkey Kept in Crate for 7 Years Has the Best Reaction to His New Sanctuary Home (VIDEO), crimes against animals, people, and the environment, problems in implementing and regulating the RSPO standards, https://www.truefoodsblog.com/articles/palm-oil-production-a-brief-overview-and-how-to-take-action-on-climate-change_1/. In 2004, an industry group called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil was formed to work with the palm oil industry to address these concerns. (2006 est.) One source reported that humans consumed an average 17 pounds (7.7 kg) of palm oil per person in 2015. Its low cost makes palm oil the preferred cooking oil for millions of people around the world. But these animals are in grave danger. So start reading and share with everyone you know! It is red in colour. Read More; carboxylic acids As I write in the December issue, palm oil is the world’s most popular edible oil, making up a third of all vegetable oil consumed across the planet. 4. Oil palms are able to produce fruit for harvest within 4 to 6 years of planting, if fertilized well. It is just a matter of holding corporations accountable for making positive change. In the past 10 years, the orangutan population has decreased by 50 percent as the result of habitat loss from forest clearing for palm plantations. In Borneo, the forest (F), is being replaced by oil palm plantations (G). Online Puppy Scams Have Increased During the Pandemic, ‘We’re Keeping Her’ Says Ricky Gervais After Fostering Cat, Record Label Reveals Black Artists Received 3.4% Lower Royalties than their White Counterparts, Oil Spill in Mauritius Caused by Crew Searching for Better Phone Signal, Petition: Demand Himeji City Zoo Not Get Another Elephant After Himeko’s Death, Petition: Make Period Products Free Throughout the UK, 5 Reasons Not to Ask Santa for a Puppy or Kitten This Holiday Season, 10 Adorable DIY Christmas Presents for Your Pet. Get your favorite articles delivered right to your inbox! In palm oil consuming markets we will: Seek to enhance the EU’s pledged Initiative on Deforestation and forest Degradation – Stepping Up EU Action, resulting in a full-fledged Action Plan on Deforestation; continue promoting legislative restrictions on EU trade in illegal and unsustainable palm oil, and other like agricultural commodities Palm oil is obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. If you want to read more about Palm Oil and some detailed research, visit our Page, The link: https://www.truefoodsblog.com/articles/palm-oil-production-a-brief-overview-and-how-to-take-action-on-climate-change_1/, 10 Products You Didn’t Know Contain Animal Ingredients, How to Choose a Ripe Winter Squash (and Avoid the Bad Ones in the Bunch! One tablespoon of palm oil contains 55 percent of the daily recommendation of saturated fat. Up to 300 football fields of forest are cleared every HOUR to make room for palm plantations. South East Asia has been widely affected due to fires used to destroy the rain forests. The differences are in color (raw palm kernel oil lacks carotenoids and is not red), and in saturated fat content: palm mesocarp oil is 49% saturated, while palm kernel oil and coconut oil are 81% and 86% saturated fats, respectively. It is used in bread, cereals, chocolates, pizzas, cleaning products, chewing gum and even shampoo. It is found in about half of the products that you might find at the supermarket, so it is a very popular ingredient. 1,500,000; (2016 est.) Unlike oil seed rape and sunflower oils palm oil is valued because it is solid at room temperature. Palm oil is literally everywhere – in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuels. We follow the global supply chain. Check out our range of fun oil facts for kids and enjoy learning some interesting information about crude oil, vegetable oil, synthetic oil and others. In fact, according to Palm Oil Consumers Action, most Americans “have never heard of palm oil,” let alone understand the complex global conflicts its production has created! Find out what nutritionists say about palm oil and if it's healthy. 9. These 10 Plant-Based Foods Will Lift a Low Mood! Palm oil is the #1 most consumed vegetable oil worldwide. Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree, and because it's high in saturated fat, some experts say it's bad for you. Sign up for daily news from OneGreenPlanet. The vast majority of the worlds palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia where the expansion of the industry has destroyed millions of hectares of rainforest. Footnotes for Vegetable oil, palm kernel. Palm oil comes from oil palm trees like the ones seen in this picture Palm oil is made from the fruits of trees called African oil palms. Oil palms are palm trees which grow hundreds of little orange/red fruits that are squashed, squeezed and pulped to produce palm oil. Palm oil is high in saturated fat. 1. Its use in the commercial food industry in other parts of the world is widespread because of its lower cost and the high oxidative stability (saturation) of the refined product when used for frying. Palm oil also known as Red palm oil is a strong, savory and earthy tasting vegetable oil which is derived from the palm fruit of Elaeis guineensis. There is no other vegetable oil on the planet that shows up in such a vast array of consumer goods, making consumers unknowingly complicit in horrific crimes against animals, people, and the environment. The Dark Facts About Palm Oil That Aren't Always Talked About. Percent Daily Values (%DV) are for adults or children aged 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie reference diet. There are only 6,300 Sumatran orangutans left. Indonesia has currently cleared around six million hectares of tropical peat forest…they have plans to expand by four million more hectares by 2015. Sponsor an Animal in Someone’s Honor! It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil derived from the kernel of the same fruit or coconut oil derived from the … 10. FAO considers palm oil (coming from the pulp) and palm kernels to be primary products. Read on and find out where oil comes from, what it's used for, examples of common vegetable oils and more. What is palm oil? It requires only 0.26 hectares (about 0.6 acres) of land to produce one ton of oil. A Christmas Puppy: Good Idea or Bad Idea? The traditional export of palm oil and palm kernels remains important. Naturally, it is reddish in color due to the high content of beta carotene. 8 Plant-Based Recipes to Maintain Your Blood Pressure During the Holidays, 15 Mental Health Boosting Plant-Based Recipes for the Holidays. Palm oil is high in saturated fat. Watch a Moo-a-Thon to Support Woodstock Farm Sanctuary Today! One tablespoon of palm oil contains 55 percent of the daily recommendation of saturated fat. This 2013 article by Benjamin Skinner, illustrates the deep seeds of human rights abuses prevalent in the palm industry. Palm oil is distinct from palm kernel oil, which is made from the seed of oil palm fruit. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil derived from the kernel of the same fruit or coconut oil derived from the kernel of the coconut palm. urban agglom., 1,495,000. This page was last modified on 15 December 2020, at 14:18. There are two species of oil Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. It is rich in saturated vegetable fats and becomes semi solid at the room temperature. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has set bold guidelines to help reform the palm oil industry, promoting transparency, fair labor, and strict environmental standards. 2. And as long as kids work alongside their families rather than go to school, this cycle of abuse, exploitation, and poverty will go and on. Palm kernel oil is obtained by crushing and extracting the oil from the seed or kernel of the fruit. This is why raising awareness about how palm oil production is harming the planet, animals, and people alike is so, so important. Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because of a high beta-carotene content. There are two types of oil gained from the oil palm tree: palm oil and palm kernel oil. By reading and sharing these facts about palm oil, you are helping to educate the many consumers that still do not know that they eat palm oil everyday. There are about 2600 species of palm trees. Additionally, in 1992, in response to concerns about deforestation, the Government of Malaysia pledged to limit the expansion of palm oil plantations by retaining a minimum of half the nation's land as forest cover. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There are sustainable methods for producing palm oil that do not involve deforestation, human rights abuses, or animal deaths. 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