Feeding the World Sustainably: Why Palm Oil Must Align Health and Sustainability
Guest commentary by Ir. Qua Kiat Seng
LinkedIn Profile Kiat Seng Qua
LinkedIn Profile Kiat Seng Qua
At the RSPO European Roundtable in Milan in 2016, I proposed a principle that remains critical today: vegetable oils used to feed the population must meet both sustainability and health criteria.
Though the proposal was not adopted—despite the presence of major stakeholders like Ferrero, Unilever and Nestlé—it is time to revisit this imperative, especially as palm oil continues to be the world’s most consumed edible oil.
Palm Oil vs. Seed Oils: A Land-Efficient Solution
The American Soybean Association recently warned that switching to palm oil usage in the US would require 1.3 million hectares of land—a claim intended to alarm. But the reality is quite the opposite. To replace 4.5 million tonnes of seed oils, far less land is needed when using palm oil, thanks to its superior yield. In equatorial Latin America, palm oil can be cultivated in areas currently used for soybeans, producing at least seven times more oil per hectare.
This shift offers a strategic advantage: more edible oil to feed a growing global population without further deforestation. The IUCN has previously highlighted this potential, noting that oil palm produces 35% of the world’s vegetable oil on less than 10% of the land used for oil crops. Yet, this insight remains largely ignored in mainstream policy and advocacy.
Latin America: A Sustainable Frontier
Countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala are increasingly cultivating palm oil in equatorial zones where soybeans currently dominate. Unlike Southeast Asia, where palm expansion has often come at the cost of biodiversity, Latin American plantations—especially in Colombia—are expanding on non-forested land, offering a more sustainable model.
Palm oil production in Latin America has grown nearly 60% since 2011, reaching 4.6 million tonnes in 2020/21. With proper governance and certification, this region could become a model for sustainable palm oil, balancing food security with environmental stewardship.
Health and Reformulation: A New Role for Palm Oil
As concerns mount over the health implications of seed oils—particularly their inflammatory potential—palm oil offers a viable alternative for food reformulation. Its balanced saturated and unsaturated fat profile makes it suitable for many processed foods, especially when sustainably sourced.
While saturated fat has long been vilified under the diet-heart hypothesis, the scientific foundation of that link has remained contested. On July 14, 2025, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary publicly announced that the agency is “now revising” its saturated fat guidelines—a bold move that challenges decades of conventional dietary advice. In his remarks, Makary criticized the flawed methodology behind earlier studies and emphasized the need to reassess the role of saturated fats in light of emerging evidence. By this fall, we may witness saturated fat reclaiming its rightful place in nutrition science—not as a villain, but as a misunderstood nutrient in a more balanced dietary framework.
That said, seed oils still have a role—particularly in oleochemicals and biofuels. The goal is not to eliminate them, but to reposition palm oil as a strategic complement in the edible oil landscape.
MSPO and ISPO: Certification for a New Era
Malaysia’s MSPO 2.0 and Indonesia’s ISPO are evolving to meet global sustainability standards. MSPO 2.0 now includes traceability, greenhouse gas management, and conservation safeguards. These frameworks are essential for ensuring that palm oil meets both nutritional and environmental benchmarks.
A Call to Action
The world needs a systems approach to vegetable oils—one that integrates health, sustainability, and land efficiency. The rejection of this principle in 2016 should not deter us. With mounting pressure to reformulate food products and feed a growing population, the case for sustainable palm oil has never been stronger.
Let us move beyond outdated narratives and embrace a future where vegetable oils nourish both people and planet—efficiently, ethically, and sustainably.
Published August 08, 2025 CSPO Watch
The American Soybean Association recently warned that switching to palm oil usage in the US would require 1.3 million hectares of land—a claim intended to alarm. But the reality is quite the opposite. To replace 4.5 million tonnes of seed oils, far less land is needed when using palm oil, thanks to its superior yield. In equatorial Latin America, palm oil can be cultivated in areas currently used for soybeans, producing at least seven times more oil per hectare.
This shift offers a strategic advantage: more edible oil to feed a growing global population without further deforestation. The IUCN has previously highlighted this potential, noting that oil palm produces 35% of the world’s vegetable oil on less than 10% of the land used for oil crops. Yet, this insight remains largely ignored in mainstream policy and advocacy.
Latin America: A Sustainable Frontier
Countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Guatemala are increasingly cultivating palm oil in equatorial zones where soybeans currently dominate. Unlike Southeast Asia, where palm expansion has often come at the cost of biodiversity, Latin American plantations—especially in Colombia—are expanding on non-forested land, offering a more sustainable model.
Palm oil production in Latin America has grown nearly 60% since 2011, reaching 4.6 million tonnes in 2020/21. With proper governance and certification, this region could become a model for sustainable palm oil, balancing food security with environmental stewardship.
Health and Reformulation: A New Role for Palm Oil
As concerns mount over the health implications of seed oils—particularly their inflammatory potential—palm oil offers a viable alternative for food reformulation. Its balanced saturated and unsaturated fat profile makes it suitable for many processed foods, especially when sustainably sourced.
While saturated fat has long been vilified under the diet-heart hypothesis, the scientific foundation of that link has remained contested. On July 14, 2025, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary publicly announced that the agency is “now revising” its saturated fat guidelines—a bold move that challenges decades of conventional dietary advice. In his remarks, Makary criticized the flawed methodology behind earlier studies and emphasized the need to reassess the role of saturated fats in light of emerging evidence. By this fall, we may witness saturated fat reclaiming its rightful place in nutrition science—not as a villain, but as a misunderstood nutrient in a more balanced dietary framework.
That said, seed oils still have a role—particularly in oleochemicals and biofuels. The goal is not to eliminate them, but to reposition palm oil as a strategic complement in the edible oil landscape.
MSPO and ISPO: Certification for a New Era
Malaysia’s MSPO 2.0 and Indonesia’s ISPO are evolving to meet global sustainability standards. MSPO 2.0 now includes traceability, greenhouse gas management, and conservation safeguards. These frameworks are essential for ensuring that palm oil meets both nutritional and environmental benchmarks.
A Call to Action
The world needs a systems approach to vegetable oils—one that integrates health, sustainability, and land efficiency. The rejection of this principle in 2016 should not deter us. With mounting pressure to reformulate food products and feed a growing population, the case for sustainable palm oil has never been stronger.
Let us move beyond outdated narratives and embrace a future where vegetable oils nourish both people and planet—efficiently, ethically, and sustainably.
Published August 08, 2025 CSPO Watch