New
New
Year 9

The palm oil dilemma

I can analyse the environmental and social consequences of palm oil production and explore sustainable alternatives.

New
New
Year 9

The palm oil dilemma

I can analyse the environmental and social consequences of palm oil production and explore sustainable alternatives.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Palm oil is sourced from the fruit of the oil palm tree.
  2. An area of rainforest, nearly the size of Greater London, has been wiped out in under a decade for oil palm plantations.
  3. Plantations are less dense and less diverse.
  4. Oil palm plantations are associated with the loss of forest for indigenous communities, forced labour and child labour.
  5. Experts recommend supporting certified sustainable palm oil, as it is the most land-efficient oil crop.

Keywords

  • Palm oil - edible oil from the fruit of oil palm trees

  • Deforestation - the complete removal of trees

  • Biodiversity - the variety of living things in an ecosystem or area

Common misconception

Boycotting palm oil helps stop deforestation.

Experts recommend supporting certified sustainable palm oil, as palm oil is the most land-efficient oil crop. Replacing it with less efficient crops like sunflowers could cause more deforestation.


To help you plan your year 9 geography lesson on: The palm oil dilemma, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You could ask students to get any food/product packets out that they have in their bag and to see if you can find palm oil in the classroom.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is a natural resource?

Bricks
Electricity
Correct answer: Freshwater
Plastic

Q2.
Which is a non-renewable resource?

Wind
Correct answer: Coal
Sunlight
Rain

Q3.
Which is not a renewable resource?

Wind
Correct answer: Oil
Hydropower
Solar

Q4.
What is meant by a renewable resource?

One that can be burnt
One that is always in short supply
Correct answer: One that can naturally be replaced quickly
One that cannot be reused

Q5.
Why might natural resources run out?

We recycle too much
We don’t use enough technology
Correct answer: We use them faster than nature replaces them
They are renewable

Q6.
Which of these comes from a renewable source?

Petrol
Correct answer: Wood from managed forests
Coal
Plastic

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
Match the keyword to its definition:

Correct Answer:Palm oil,Edible oil from oil palm fruit

Edible oil from oil palm fruit

Correct Answer:Deforestation,The complete removal of trees

The complete removal of trees

Correct Answer:Biodiversity,Variety of living things in an area

Variety of living things in an area

Q2.
Why has rainforest been cleared in parts of the world?

To build cities
Correct answer: To grow oil palm trees
To plant rice
To dig for gold

Q3.
What is a problem with oil palm plantations?

They are very colourful
They are rich in biodiversity
They use too little land
Correct answer: They are less diverse than rainforest

Q4.
Why do experts recommend certified sustainable palm oil instead of a full ban?

It tastes better
It is cheaper
Correct answer: It uses less land than other oils
It grows faster than trees