ASK A VEGAN

Ispalmoilvegan?

Technically yes — it's a plant oil — but it drives rainforest and orangutan-habitat destruction. Many vegans avoid it or choose RSPO-certified sources.

ETHICS

Short answer

Technically yes — it's a plant oil — but it drives rainforest and orangutan-habitat destruction. Many vegans avoid it or choose RSPO-certified sources.

ETHICS

The detail

Palm oil itself contains no animal product. But it is the leading driver of deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, killing thousands of orangutans and other primates.

80% of palm goes into non-vegan-specific processed food, cosmetics and biofuel. RSPO 'sustainable' certification is imperfect but better than uncertified.

Newsletter

One short letter. Once a month.

A handful of recipes, a story worth your time, and one thing you can do this week. Nothing else.

We never share your email. Unsubscribe in one click.