Choose Sustainable Palm Oil

Palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil on the planet, used in everything from shampoo to candy, but wide-scale production poses a severe threat for both humans and wildlife. Tropical forests around the world are being burned and cleared to make way for palm oil plantations, escalating the effects of climate change and destroying the habitats of thousands of species, including at least 193 species listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Many are represented at Lincoln Park Zoo, including chimpanzees, golden-headed lion tamarins, and western lowland gorillas.

Forest-friendly Products

Palm trees produce up to 10 times more oil than other crops per unit of cultivated land, so replacing palm oil with other types of vegetable oil is not a sustainable solution, since they would require even more land to create the same amount of oil. However, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has developed a set of environmental and social criteria for certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) production, encouraging companies to adopt better practices over time.

Take Action With Us

Tap the App

Palm oil can be grown without damaging vital rainforests. Use the free sustainable palm oil shopping app: PalmOil Scan, developed by our partners at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, to find products made with responsibly produced palm oil. You don’t need to change all your products at once. Just take a small step to inventory one area of your life (like your beauty products), find sustainable options that you like, celebrate your switch, and move on to the next area.

Spread the Word

Tell friends and family, both in conversation and on social media, how choosing sustainable palm oil benefits wildlife and people. Follow the zoo’s social media channels to see relevant updates on how you can Take Action With Us, and share those updates on your channels.

Our Work

Goualougo Triangle Ape Project

The Goualougo (goo-a-LO-go) Triangle, a region in the Republic of the Congo, is home to primates like golden-headed lion tamarins, chimpanzees, and western lowland gorillas. Through the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project, Lincoln Park Zoo scientists work in this remote yet threatened ecosystem to assess and promote sustainable logging practices. Palm oil production is a growing threat in West Africa, and choosing RSPO-certified palm oil helps protect the wildlife that resides in the Goualougo Triangle.

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External Resources

Our partners at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo developed the Sustainable Palm Oil shopping app, and have many resources explaining why certified sustainable palm oil is the right choice.

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