GOODBYE PALM OIL, HELLO METSCHNIKOWIA PULCHERRIMA

The University of Bath is conducting come exciting research which could halt much rainforest destruction.

Green do-gooders are getting very excited about a little known yeast called Metschnikowia pulcherrima, which when put in the right growth conditions can produce an oil with almost identical properties to palm oil. 

Palm oil seems to be everywhere. It is a common ingredient in food and cosmetic products worldwide, and can be found lurking in products ranging from lipstick to cookies and shampoo to instant noodles. Even the hardline environmentalist would struggle to avoid it. 

But why has this seemingly innocent oil stirred up such a controversy? 

Palm oil is a basic source of income for many farmers in South East Asia, Central and West Africa, and Central America. It is so popular because it produces up to 10 times more oil per unit area than soyabeans, rapeseed or sunflower. 

Worryingly large areas of tropical forests and other ecosystems with high conservation values have been, and are still being, cleared to make room for vast monoculture oil palm plantations. This is destroying critical habitat for many endangered species, including rhinos,  elephants and tigers, and has resulted in large scale soil erosion and pollution. 

As if this wasn't disturbing enough, the expansion of palm oil plantations has lead to the eviction of many forest-dwelling peoples.

So lets hope that palm oil has met its match, and soon such a socially and environmentally dangerous oil will be a horror of the past.