Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping List

The Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping List is a Chester Zoo learning resource designed to help young people understand how everyday shopping choices can help protect wildlife and forests. The resource explains that palm oil is a major global industry used in many common products, including food, cosmetics, and household goods, but unsustainable production can lead to deforestation and biodiversity loss across South East Asia. It introduces learners to the idea that consumers can use their purchasing power to support companies that commit to sourcing certified sustainable palm oil.

The resource also connects with the PalmOil Scan app, developed in partnership with zoos and conservation organisations around the world. The shopping list highlights brands and parent companies that have been rated highly for their commitment to sustainable palm oil, helping learners identify responsible companies when shopping. By linking everyday products to global conservation issues, the activity encourages young people to think critically about supply chains, sustainability, and the role individuals can play in protecting rainforest wildlife such as orangutans.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what palm oil is and why it is used in many everyday products

• Explore how unsustainable palm oil production contributes to deforestation and biodiversity loss

• Recognise the role consumers can play in supporting sustainable supply chains

• Learn how tools such as the PalmOil Scan app can help inform ethical shopping choices

• Develop awareness of how global industries affect wildlife and habitats

Curriculum Links:

• Geography - Global trade, tropical rainforests, human impact on ecosystems

• Science - Biodiversity, habitats, environmental change

• Citizenship - Ethical consumerism, responsible decision making

• PSHE - Global responsibility, sustainability awareness