Factually, the WWF, Orangutan Land Trust and WAZA all support sustainable palm oil. The reason is that palm oil has the highest yield per hectare of land compared to any oil crop. If other oil crop were used to replace palm oil, it would need 4-10 times more land area to produce the same quantity of vegetable oil as palm oil does, causing even greater loss of wildlife and biodiversity.
WWF believes that palm oil can contribute to sustainability if it is managed properly.
In November 2017, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The MoU lists seven specific goals, four of which are the responsibility of WAZA and its zoo and/or aquarium members.
Meanwhile, the Orangutan Land Trust understands that palm oil is “here to stay” because the demand for all edible oils and fats will continue to rise and palm oil is the highest-yielding and most versatile oil crop to produce.
The challenge is if there is a boycott of palm oil due to consumers’ inability to distinguish conventional and sustainable palm oil, other lower-yielding crops will take its place and could cause even greater risk of deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat and biodiversity.
Take quiz about palm oil
Take quiz
