Planet
Palm oil is the standard villain in sustainable-shopping guides, and the story is more complicated than the boycott suggests. Palm is by far the highest-yielding oil crop per hectare, so replacing it with lower-yielding oils can expand the total land footprint even as it moves the deforestation elsewhere.
| Criterion | Palm oil | Alternative oils |
|---|---|---|
| Yield per hectare | Far higher than any competing oil crop. | Soy, rapeseed, sunflower and coconut all need substantially more land for the same volume. |
| Deforestation link | Directly tied to lowland rainforest and peatland conversion in Southeast Asia. | Soy expansion drives Amazon and Cerrado conversion, largely for livestock feed. |
| Biodiversity | Orangutan, pygmy elephant and tiger habitat loss are the flagship cases. | Cerrado and Chaco conversion is less visible but ecologically severe. |
| Certification | RSPO and similar schemes vary in rigour; segregated supply chains are stronger than mass-balance claims. | Certification coverage is patchier still for most alternative oils. |
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