About
Palm Oil

The future of sustainable Palm Oil

Palm oil, with an annual global production of over 50 million tons, is the most important vegetable oil on a global scale, contributing 30% of the world’s production of vegetal oils. Owing to its versatile nature, it is found in a vast range of products from confectionaries and baked goods to cereals, washing powders, cosmetics and even biofuels. The demand for palm oil is expected to grow to approximately 70 million tonnes in 2020. Sustainability has to be given high priority to meet these challenging global demands in a favourable and responsible manner. Smaller nations like Sri Lanka are full of potential to offer the world a much-needed alternative – in the form of sustainably cultivated oil palm.

To Revive the Agricultural
Success and prosperity
in Sri Lanka

Learn More

Industry

History

Locally known as “katupol”, oil palms were first introduced to Sri Lanka in 1968, and were first planted in Nakiyadeniya. It is a little-known fact in Sri Lanka that the crop has successfully been cultivated locally for over 50 years. Find out more about the history of local oil palm cultivation.

Process

The process of making palm oil and related products is a fascinating story of human ingenuity and modern technology. Find out more about the palm oil journey, from planting saplings and first harvest, to oil extraction, refining and packaging.

Products

Palm oil today is used in a wide variety of products, including baked goods, cereals, noodles, chocolates, shampoos, cosmetics, soaps, detergents and biodiesel. But how does palm oil end up catering to such diverse requirements?

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The Truth About

Palm Oil On
Your Health

According to recent research, when consumed as part of a balanced diet palm oil does not have incremental risk for cardiovascular disease. As a vegetable oil, it is also a great source of tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E – which is an antioxidant that provides protection to your cells and that can reduce your risk of certain health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

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The Truth About

Palm Oil And
The Environment

In recent years, the effect of oil palm cultivation on the environment has been a major topic of global discussion, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, unscrupulous cultivation methods and industry practices in some countries has given rise environmental crises in certain areas. However, this does not in any way mean that oil palm cultivation is not sustainable. Environmental impact for any crop is solely dependent on agricultural methodology and industry practices, which can be managed through knowledge sharing and implementing prudent policy.

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The Truth About

Palm Oil And
The Economy

The positive economic impact of oil palm cultivation is undeniable. The global palm oil market’s value is projected to expand up to US$ 92.8 billion by the year 2021. Sri Lanka spent Rs. 20.8 billion in 2015 on importing oil and fats, with a significant majority of those imports being palm oil. By addressing some of these deficits with locally produced, sustainable palm oil, the country can reduce exchange loss while providing valuable income for locals.

Shared Responsibility