Palm oil, the most important source of vegetable oil in the world, is derived from the fruit of perennial palm trees, which are farmed year-round in mostly tropical areas.
Palm oil, the most important source of vegetable oil in the world, is derived from the fruit of perennial palm trees, which are farmed year-round in mostly tropical areas. The palm fruit is harvested manually every 10 days to two weeks, then transported to a mill for processing, and ultimately exported and made into a dizzying array of products from food to toiletries to biodiesel.
“You probably ate palm oil for breakfast,” said Patricio Grassini, associate professor of agronomy at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. “There is probably palm oil in your shampoo and for sure palm oil in your makeup.”
Dozens of countries produce palm oil, but Indonesia produces approximately two-thirds of the world’s supply, and demand for the product is ever-growing.
Read more at: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Young oil palm plantation in Indonesia. Each plantation cycle is about 25 years. (Photo Credit: Hendra Sugianto/University of Nebraska-Lincoln)
