In the jungles of Malaysian Borneo not far from the Indonesian border (which is where the accompanying photo was taken) palm oil is being grown more than anywhere else on Earth. You see it on the side of the road, deep in the rainforest, almost everywhere.
Malaysia is the largest producer of palm oil in the world. It’s feeding the massive demand for palm that’s come into play for our food (palm is the second most used edible oil after soy) and perhaps even our fuel (palm is being used in Europe as a source of biofuel). Palm oil is in a lot of unlikely things. It’s in our French fries, potato chips, even our toothpaste. Also, ever wonder where PalmOlive soap gets its name? Palm. It’s frequently used as generic vegetable oil too.
The pervasive use of palm oil is becoming a problem because it’s destroying the lowland forest of the Island of Borneo. Orangutans are being endangered. Loads of other species are being displaced. Borneo actually holds more species than anywhere else on Earth.
I myself while in Borneo have seen saltwater crocodiles, different types of monkeys, snakes, wild boars, orangutans and many species of flora. Equating these wonders to my toothpaste is a big mental leap. But it is what the WWF wants. It’s looking to create sustainable palm oil production by enforcing certain means of farming that would carry through to product labels.
I, for one, would like to see greater transparency along those lines.It would certainly help me the next time I am at the grocery store and pick up a pack of chips. I wouldn’t have to wonder how many orangutans got booted from their homes to accommodate my munchies. Clearer labeling would help us all make better and more informed choices about our connections to nature.
Thomas M. Kostigen is The New York Times bestselling coauthor of