Humans used oil palms as far back as 5,000 years. In the late 1800s, archaeologists discovered a substance that they concluded … See more

In food
The highly saturated nature of palm oil renders it solid at room temperature in temperate regions, making it a cheap substitute for butter or hydrogenated vegetable oils in uses where solid fat is desirable, such as … See more

According to the Hamburg-based Oil World trade journal, in 2008 global production of oils and fats stood at 160 million tonnes. Palm oil and palm kernel oil were jointly the … See more

Palm oil is a food staple in many cuisines, contributing significant calories as well as fat. Globally, humans consumed an average of 7.7 kg (17 lb) of palm oil per person in 2015. … See more

Palm oil is naturally reddish in color because of a high beta-carotene content. It is not to be confused with palm kernel oil derived from the See more

In 2022–2023, world production of palm oil was 78 million metric tons (86 million short tons). The annual production of palm oil is projected to reach 240 million metric tons (260 million short … See more

Forests have been cleared in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia to make space for oil-palm monoculture. This has significant impacts on the local ecosystems leading to deforestation and biodiversity loss. For example, these processes have resulted in significant acreage … See more