Environmental Concerns Over Palm Oil

In the past 20 years, cultivation of palm oil — a widespread ingredient used in everything from packaged snack foods to soaps and detergents — has wiped out more than 30,000 square miles of rainforests and contributed to extensive social conflict in forest communities.

In an effort to mitigate these ethical concerns, Kellogg's announced last week that it would only purchase palm oil from suppliers that actively protect rainforests and respect human rights.

NPR’s Allison Aubrey joins Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson and Robin Young to discuss her research on whether palm oil is actually an ideal ingredient at all.