The next time you reach for the pack of double-stuffed Oreos, check the ingredients in “America’s favorite cookie”. Palm oil is high up on the list. This vegetable oil is playing an outside role in the sixth extinction crisis.

Palm oil is not only found in Oreos, it can be found in almost half of all packaged goods. From Nutella to potato chips, and even your next cup of instant noodles, you are most likely consuming palm oil.

 To an average consumer palm oil doesn’t mean much, but to the lions, elephants, and tigers in Indonesia it threatens their existence. Today species extinction is occurring at rates 100 times higher than normal. According to a recent UN report, the number one driver of extinction is habitat destruction. 

Palm oil production drives the destruction of biologically-rich rainforests. Even though they only make up 15% of the world’s landmass, rainforests hold half of the world’s biodiversity. The loss in species diversity can have a ripple effect that can lead to increases in pandemics, food scarcity, and worsen climate change. 

The palm oil industry not only affects the survival of species, but also contributes to human rights violations and marginalizes indigenous communities. Nevertheless, massive corporations like PepsiCo, Ferrero, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive continue to profit off of this cheap commodity.

 Although halting habitat destruction for the production of palm oil requires governments and businesses to take responsibility, a starting point is addressing palm oil within our own kitchens. 

Throughout the term I will be researching how consumer actions play an important role in changing corporate behavior, while also looking at other solutions like policy and the work of NGOs.