Leading global palm oil companies based on market cap 2018

Wilmar International Limited, a Singapore based agricultural business, is the leading palm oil production company in the world, in terms of market capitalization. In 2018, Wilmar International’s palm oil market capitalization amounted to 3.11 billion U.S. dollars.

Palm Oil Production

Palm oil production is on the rise worldwide. In 2018/2019, around 73.49 million metric tons of palm oil were produced, a substantial increase from 58.9 million metric tons in the 2015/2016 crop year. Palm oil has been the subject of some controversy in recent years as much of the deforestation in Southeast Asia is attributed to palm oil cultivation, resulting in the deaths of countless endangered species and threatening the lives of many more. However, there are ways to produce palm oil sustainably, giving hope to that industry and wildlife activists.

Uses of Palm Oil in the United States

In the United States, palm oil has many different applications including as an edible oil, as biodiesel, or in the production of cosmetics. Around 70 percent of the palm oil in the United States is used in food production or sold as a cooking oil, according to 2016 figures. Cosmetics account for a relatively small share of the palm oil market, at 5.4 percent. It is estimated that these proportions won’t change significantly by 2022