Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism
at Brandeis University
i n v e s t i g a t i o n s
Our investigation reveals that some palm oil--the most widely used vegetable oil in the world--is produced with slave labor. Palm oil is in all the products above, and many more.
Schuster Institute - Bloomberg Businessweek collaboration
Is There Slavery In Your Supermarket?
In a nine-month investigation, the Schuster Institute's team of reporters followed the intra-country migration of workers in the palm oil industry in Indonesia. "Indonesia's Palm Oil Industry Rife With Human-Rights Abuses," the resulting story published at businessweek.com and in the July 22, 2013 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, highlights the harrowing and unexpected journey one man took from freedom to slavery and back, and how few consumers, including those in the burgeoning markets of China and India, are aware of workers' plight.
Industry, Advocacy, Media & Other Response since this Investigation
Palm oil and its derivatives are in numerous popular brand-name foods and household products around the world. As a commodity, demand is rising, and with it production.
Learn about the production of palm oil generally, and in Indonesia specifically.
What is Palm Oil &
Where Does It Come From?
Palm Oil Production
in Indonesia
Outline of Production
Palm Fruit to Product
Palm Oil Production Under Fire
Human Rights Abuses
& other Controversies
The production of palm oil is not without its challenges and controversies.
Palm Oil Production
Palm Oil Industry's Response
The palm oil industry, together with government and non-governmental organizations, is addressing some of the ongoing conflicts surrounding current methods of palm oil production.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), based in Malaysia, is the primary vehicle through which better practices are being recommended and supported.
Learn more:
RSPO-Member Timetables for Switching to Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO)
