What is palm oil?

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that serves as an ingredient in snack foods, personal care products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It grows in tropical areas that are 10 degrees north or south of the equator and comes from the fruit of palm trees.

Palm oil originates from West Africa. In the 20th century, the British brought palm oil trees to southeast Asia when the country expanded during the Industrial Revolution. As of 2015, palm oil production exceeds 50 million tons every year. It is possible to extract roughly 3.9 tons of crude palm oil and half a ton of palm kernel oil from a hectare.