The Problems of Palm Oil

Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world, and this ubiquitous ingredient is found in almost everything, from ice cream and toothpaste to feedstock for biofuel. A highly profitable industry, the ever-growing demand for palm oil has however also drawn scrutiny and ire for among other things, the destruction of rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia to support its expansion. So what's the solution? Would a palm oil ban reduce deforestation or do more harm than good? We discuss this and more with Faizal Parish, the Director of the Global Environment Centre.