Palm oil is the world's most widely produced vegetable oil, found in shampoo, cosmetics, and lotion. Cultivation of Oil Palm trees is increasing unsustainably; monocultures of the palm are overtaking rainforests, especially on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. At the current rate of Deforestation on Sumatra, the island will be completely barren within 20 years. Robbed of valuable habitat, the 1,025 animal species and 15,561 plant species found only on Sumatra are in danger of extinction. Two endemic species of tiger have already gone extinct, and the Sumatran tiger population has fallen to 500 individuals.

Palm oil can be harvested sustainably! Sustainable oil palm plantations and mills don't destroy secondary rainforests, drain swamps, or threaten wildlife habitat. Over 1000 companies (including The Body Shop) have joined the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil. In joining, they have pledged to use sustainable palm oil, but not necessarily Deforestation-free palm oil. In order to be truly sustainable and deforestation-free, The Body Shop must investigate their palm oil supply chain, from plantation to store, and assess sustainability on every level. The Body Shop needs to be transparent about their supply chain for consumers, so patrons of The Body Shop can be sure their purchases are produced sustainably.