If you’ve travelled through Sabah in Borneo, Malaysia on a school expedition, the endless rows of oil palm trees are hard to miss. For student travellers, understanding palm oil means recognising the links between what we consume and the places we explore, and asking what we can do differently once we’re home.
First up, what even is Palm Oil?
Palm Oil is mostly referred to as a vegetable oil. However, it actually comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. The palm is able to produce two different oils, crude palm oil from the fruit itself and palm kernel oil from the stones in the middle of the fruit.
Oil palm trees are native to Africa but were brought to South-East Asia just over 100 years ago as an ornamental tree crop. Now, Indonesia and Malaysia make up over 85% of global supply.
Sabah in Borneo contributes a whopping 10% of the world’s crude palm oil.
Why is it so popular?
Palm oil is a versatile, low-cost ingredient found in around half of all supermarket products, from food to cosmetics and cleaning supplies. It’s odourless, colourless, and stable, making it ideal for processed goods like margarine, frozen pizza and biscuits.
For farmers, oil palm trees are attractive because they grow year-round and produce high yields on relatively little land.
The Complex Challenge
Palm oil plantations around the world make up an area the size of New Zealand. They are referred to as Green Deserts, a term used to describe monocrop ecosystems that are unable to maintain the usual range of biodiversity you would expect to find in a natural habitat.
In Borneo alone, between 1973 and 2015 34% of Borneo’s old-growth forests and a total of 50% of its total rainforests have been cleared. The expansion of palm oil plantations in Sabah, Borneo has created a complex environmental and social challenge.
Sabah is home to some of the world’s most unique and endangered wildlife. Forest fragmentation caused by plantations isolates species and reduces their ability to survive and reproduce. Examples of this include the pygmy elephant (population declined 60% in the last 40 years), proboscis monkey (50% decline in the last 40 years) and the orangutan (50% decline in the last 60 years).
Clearing forests, often through burning releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. And the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in plantations can lead to water contamination and soil degradation.
Many Indigenous and rural communities have also lost access to ancestral land due to plantation expansion, which can threaten traditional livelihoods and lead to land rights disputes.
What to do during your trip to Borneo
There are many initiatives in Sabah aimed at making palm oil more sustainable. There are also several NGO and government-led reforestation and conservation programmes, as well as community projects working with local communities to protect forests and develop alternative, sustainable livelihoods.
We’re proud to partner with several organisations in Sabah that collaborate closely with local communities and landholders. Their work includes raising awareness about the impact of palm oil, promoting sustainable farming practices, and helping develop alternative sources of income that protect both people and the environment.
On several of our school trips, your students can contribute to reforestation efforts, including working on initiatives that aim to repurchase and restore degraded land. These projects play a critical role in reconnecting fragmented habitats across the region.
What Should You Do Once You’re Home?
Avoid Boycotting – Boycotting palm oil does not offer a long-term solution. In fact, swapping palm oil for other oils can require even more land and water, often causing greater harm to the environment. The focus should be on making palm oil production more sustainable, not eliminating it entirely.
Understand the Supply Chain – Do your research and check your usual products. Are they using sustainable palm oil? Research has shown there is a 36% lower carbon footprint in certified Sustainable Palm Oil than in non-certified. The most recognised scheme is regulated by Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) where the oil produced is required to be deforestation free. Choosing RSPO-certified products supports better farming practices and protects critical ecosystems.
If it’s unclear or labelled as generic “vegetable oil”, ask the company directly. If they’re not transparent or responsible, switch to a brand that is.
Use Your Voice – Write to your local MP or favourite supermarket. Encourage them to support policies and brands that prioritise sustainability, conservation, and transparency. Ask them to invest in reforestation efforts, monitor supply chains, and support farmers who are doing things the right way.
The palm oil industry isn’t going away, and it shouldn’t. It supports millions of livelihoods and, when produced responsibly, can be less harmful than alternative oils. As a traveller, you’ve seen first-hand the impact unsustainable practices can have on people and places. Once you’re home, your role is to stay curious, stay engaged, and use what you’ve learned. Whether it’s checking labels, switching brands, starting a conversation, or holding companies accountable, small, consistent actions can push the system in a better direction.
Referenced stats source: Intro to Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO)
Written by Jonathan Barrett & Emma Halder
