Social and environmental impact of palm oil

Palm oil, produced from the oil palm, is a basic source of income for many farmers in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. Its cultivation and production (often monoculture on previously carbon-sequestering, biodiverse forest land) often coincides with human rights abuses (including rape, human trafficking, child labor, and slavery), displacement and disruption of human and animal populations, and other harmful environmental effects. These impacts can be significant, as oil palms produce 38% of the world's vegetable-oil output on 6% of the world's vegetable-oil farmland, and products from oil palms are widespread in cosmetics. There has also been considerable greenwashing of deforestation and animal cruelty related to palm oil production, with offenders including palm oil producers that received certifications of sustainability.