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Paper short abstract

Malaysian palm oil exports to Europe -- originated as colonial primary commodity -- has been framed as an environmental and health threat reflecting a core–periphery relationship through neocolonial forms of economic and discursive regulation and white supremacy ‘political ecology’ imaginaries.

Paper long abstract

The historical and contemporary development of Malaysian palm oil exports to Europe originated as a colonial primary commodity cultivated under British rule for western European markets. Palm oil has since become a widely used global ingredient and a competitor product. In recent years, Malaysian palm oil has been increasingly framed in Europe as an environmental and health threat, associated with tropical deforestation and sustainability concerns. We argue that this shift reflects the continued maintenance of a core–periphery relationship, through neocolonial forms of economic and discursive regulation in which European industries and states redefine the value and perception of palm oil as a perpetual primary commodity from the Global South that causes environmental and social harm. These processes are also based on white supremacy ‘political ecology’ imaginaries. We argue that these dynamics perpetuate unequal exchange between western European and Malaysian economic markets and actors. Based on fieldwork conducted in Malaysia, England, and Germany, we present our preliminary findings using a transdisciplinary approach combining artistic research, critical political ecology, global value chain analysis, and structural theories of unequal development.