Review: Planet Palm: How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything—and Endangered the World, by Jocelyn C. Zuckerman

Abstract

In Planet Palm: How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything—and Endangered the World, Jocelyn Zuckerman chronicles how palm oil, a traditional West African crop, was co-opted by Europeans and now hides under hundreds of names in nearly half of packaged grocery store products. Zuckerman takes the reader through the past 150 years of the palm oil industry—from its colonial origins to how it continues to exploit workers, consumers, and the environment today. Zuckerman is a journalist at heart and does not shy away from exposing the abusive, capital-driven decisions made by political leaders, nor is she afraid to admit her personal fears during the dangerous journey she embarked on to collect material for this book.Zuckerman begins with the dark history of how European imperialism spread the palm oil plant (Elaeis guineensis) from Africa to South America and Southeast Asia. She then explains the catastrophic environmental and ethical consequences of palm oil production. Palm oil plantation expansion requires peat fires and chemical treatment, and destroying mature tropical forests, which makes palm oil’s use as a biofuel no less carbon intensive as fossil fuels. Finally, she concludes with an investigation of the contemporary political atmosphere of the international palm oil market. Parts one and two spark readers to rise up against the palm oil industry, but part three reins in that mindset by reinforcing that corporate greed and political manipulation make palm oil a complex problem that lacks a clear solution. The final section reads as a dark comedy about international public relations feuds, regulatory battles, and decades of misinformation reaching global consumers. Zuckerman discusses the ethics of greenwashing, environmental colonialism, and international boycotts that could cause a disastrous economic collapse for entire countries that have no immediate replacement for their primary export.Planet Palm balances a macro view of a complex problem with an immersive look into the lives of individuals living in areas of palm oil production. Throughout the book, we hear the voices of those involved in the industry, including the experience of palm oil plantation workers in South America who are exploited by narcotics laundering schemes, contrasted by renegade spies in Indonesia who risk everything to expose and dismantle illegal plantations. Zuckerman’s storytelling abilities can make far-away readers feel personally affected and moved to remain engaged with the narrative.Zuckerman has published several magazine articles on the topic of palm oil over the past few years, and now goes deeper than ever into the hidden price of cheap commodities. Planet Palm uses humanities to discuss an inherently transdisciplinary topic, with notable sections dedicated to areas of nutrition, policy, and natural resources. The historical background provides context to the contemporary cultural shift toward a demand for sustainability, and the motivations behind those who push back against change.This text will certainly open the eyes of anyone interested and willing to dive headfirst into the complexities of the global food system, and will widen the knowledge of those already aware. Each section of this three-part book is dense enough that it could fill a book of its own, yet Zuckerman manages to weave together a gritty, real-life narrative. This book can be used as an educational text to prompt discussions on the importance of collaboration across disciplines for policy that can tackle wicked problems. From an economic perspective, palm oil markets are growing at unsustainable rates.The book sticks to accessible language and could be an exciting way for someone outside academia to better grasp the injustices created and perpetuated by capitalism. At a time when individual responsibility often seems the best way to address the effects of climate change, Planet Palm is an example of just how deeply climate issues are embedded in the global economy, and how collaborative efforts are required to address the need for systemic change. Consumer attempts to avoid palm products, if even possible, are simply not enough. It’s necessary to think beyond neoliberal tendencies and acknowledge that strides toward sustainability will require major changes at the global level.Zuckerman may raise questions for which she has no answers, but she provides enough information to awaken readers to the dramatic structural changes needed to save the world from the palm oil industry. Palm oil is an issue that speaks most directly to those involved in conservation, nutrition, and labor rights, but this book drives home the point that anyone with dish soap at their kitchen sink can be affected. Zuckerman describes a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution—one that is neither easy nor straightforward to accomplish. Nevertheless, this book provides a ray of hope that shines from the growing number of people working to combat the industry, while spreading awareness of what Zuckerman deems the “Palm Oil Crisis.”