This study examines the potential of a form of agroforestry wherein tree islands  - small areas where native trees are planted or allowed to regenerate naturally - are interspersed with oil-palm monocultures, in order to benefit biodiversity and ecological functioning.

Europe’s imports of palm oil are decreasing while the region remains a top market for sustainable palm oil, according to this report which is targeted at Europe-based retailers and manufacturers of palm oil products. The report sets out how industry users of palm oil in Europe can strengthen the sustainable palm oil movement globally, including: improving traceability in their supply chains; committing to sustainable sourcing policies; joining a sustainable palm oil initiative; using certification schemes; and joining landscape-based sustainability initiatives.

This study reviews the variation in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from vegetable oil production around the world. It re-analyses life cycle data covering almost 6000 producers of palm, soybean, rapeseed and sunflower oil across 38 countries. It finds that the carbon opportunity cost of farming oil crops instead of keeping native land cover drives considerable variation in the carbon footprint of vegetable oils.

This paper, co-authored by Table member Ken Giller, investigates the soil organic carbon stocks of oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia under a variety of management practices. Plantations using “best management practices” were found to have the highest soil carbon stocks, at 68 t ha−1. Plantations with smallholder management practices had the lowest soil carbon stocks, at 46 t ha−1, while those with current standard management practices had stocks of 57 t ha−1.

This paper examines three scenarios for animal-source food production in the European Union under two constraints: halting all imports of soybeans and soybean meal used as animal feed, and not using any additional land for animal feed cultivation (either inside or outside the EU). 

The UK government has proposed a new law that would require large businesses to prove that their supply chains for commodities (including beef, cocoa, palm oil and soya) do not contain products that have been produced on illegally deforested land. The proposals would cover commodities embedded within other products, such as animals fed on soy or palm oil used as an ingredient.

According to this article from POLITICO, dairy farmers in West Africa are being undercut by exports of “fat-filled milk powder” from the European Union. This product is a blend of dairy whey left over from processes such as butter manufacture and vegetable fats such as palm oil. 

According to this paper, coconut oil cultivation puts a much greater number of species at risk per million tonnes of oil than other oils, including palm oil, despite narratives about the environmental impacts of oils usually focusing on deforestation caused by palm oil cultivation.