WRITTEN BY KEAN KEARNEY, PALM OIL COORDINATOR
As the palm oil coordinator at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, I work to immerse myself in the complexities that define the global palm oil industry and the threats that unsustainable palm oil production poses to wildlife, people, and the planet. As the most widely utilized and versatile edible vegetable oil in the world, producing four to ten times more oil than alternative vegetable oils, palm oil is perpetually in high demand. Found in food such as cookies, bread, candy, frozen dinners, and pet food, as well as shampoo, lotions, and cosmetics, it is fair to say that palm oil’s presence in our supermarkets is pervasive. In turn, palm oil’s demands on the environment are equally widespread.
Over 80 percent of the world’s total palm oil supply originates from Indonesia and Malaysia, nations home to some of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots. Historically, the rapid expansion of unsustainable palm oil production has caused unprecedented deforestation of these very habitats. This is what CMZoo, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), and others are committed to preventing. The RSPO is a global, nonprofit organization that has aligned palm oil producers, traders, manufacturers, retailers, banks, investors, and environmental and social non-governmental organizations behind a common goal: to make palm oil wholly sustainable for the good of people, the planet, and prosperity.
In 2010, CMZoo was the first zoo to become a member of the RSPO and has remained a leader in the promotion of sustainable palm oil ever since. From getting companies the likes of Amazon and Tillamook to join the RSPO, to spearheading educational programs centered on sustainable palm oil amongst the wider AZA community, the Zoo’s impact has been considerable. Most of my work focuses on aligning our outreach efforts with the mission of the RSPO and regionally managing the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) mobile shopping app, PalmOil Scan, in North America. Having launched in 2022, the app has reached nearly 100,000 people worldwide and continues its steady growth today. A seemingly limitless potential to make a difference in the greater palm oil industry parallels this growth. Whether this entails grading unrated products and companies scanned into the app, connecting with company executives to facilitate sustainable palm oil supply chain shifts, or connecting with app users, there is plenty of work to progress and I cherish everything I learn through this process. With most of my work performed at my desk in CMZoo, little did I ever expect this work to lead me over 9,000 miles from the mountains of Colorado to the multicultural streets of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.
When the opportunity arose for me to represent CMZoo at the RSPO’s 2025 annual conference, “Building the Next 20: Sustainability in Action,” I jumped at the chance. This conference marked a reflection on the successes and shortcomings of the RSPO’s first twenty years, and how the lessons learned can become more tangible and measurable outcomes over the next two decades. The experience was inspiring. So many people from all walks of life are committed to making palm oil more sustainable. The conference proved it, with attendance from major consumer goods companies executives, peers at other zoos and environmental organizations, including our regional UK PalmOil Scan partners, and even governmental officials.
One of my favorite presentations was a focus forum titled, “From Commitment to Action: The Nature-Climate Nexus.” It was a panel discussion between zoological, conservation, and governmental experts that explored the intersectionality of the palm oil industry with the climate crisis and society. They focused on a message our Zoo has long shared: for wildlife conservation strategies to succeed, they have to balance human, societal and economic needs.
The panelists’ collective consensus was that nature conservation must serve as a foundational pillar for effective climate strategies in the palm oil industry. They highlighted the necessity for an “un-siloed” approach to sustainability in the palm oil industry, where connections between different sectors of the industry share responsibility to the environment, wildlife, and people. Only then will sustainability and conservation measures truly be holistic in scope.
I feel my work at CMZoo is, in many ways, the embodiment of this sentiment. As a zoo, our drive to conserve species and their wild populations defines us. We are a vehicle of connection for people and wildlife in our care and the wild spaces they represent, and also between people. Educational outreach inherently challenges perceptions and encourages critical thought. Acting as a bridge between consumers, corporations, companies and the RSPO, CMZoo serves as a guide through the complex palm oil industry and the people, animals, and places it impacts.
It is easy to become hyper-focused on our own little sector of the greater sustainable palm oil story. From researching new avenues for educational outreach, to prospecting new companies to join the RSPO, the road ahead to achieve a wholly sustainable palm oil industry can seem overwhelming. However, this conference was a great reminder that our efforts at CMZoo are not isolated in the greater palm oil story. There are so many incredible people working in unison to effect the greatest change and every effort matters if we are to achieve the brightest future possible, for wildlife and people alike.
Every day, your individual efforts can make a difference. Whether you are visiting CMZoo and contributing to our Q4C projects, of which we have raised over six million dollars for conservation efforts worldwide, or you have downloaded PalmOil Scan and made an effort to shift your consumer choices to support sustainable palm oil, your actions matter. I urge every one of you to work each day to make a difference. Some ways you can make a difference is by using and sharing PalmOil Scan, learn more about why boycotting palm oil is not a sustainable solution to deforestation, and, perhaps most importantly, inform others of why supporting sustainable palm oil matters for wildlife, people, and habitats around the world.
If you haven’t already, download PalmOil Scan and learn more about palm oil at cmzoo.org/palmoil.