With reference to ‘palm oil’, consider the following statements : ​ 1. The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia. ​ 2. The palm oil is a raw material for some industries producing lipstick and perfumes. ​ 3. The palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel. ​ Which of the statements given above are correct? ​

The correct answer is B. Statement 1 is false, and statements 2 and 3 are true.

Statement 1 is wrong. The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is native to West Africa. It was carried to Southeast Asia during the colonial plantation period. Malaysia and Indonesia now produce most of the world's palm oil, which is why many aspirants assume the tree is native there.

Statement 2 is correct. Palm oil and its fractions, such as stearic acid, glycerol and fatty alcohols, are used as raw materials in cosmetics, soaps, lipsticks and perfumes.

Statement 3 is correct. Palm oil is a major feedstock for biodiesel through transesterification. It is also used in oleochemicals.

Core concept: origin and industrial utility of a commodity crop. For Mains, palm oil connects to India's heavy dependence on edible oil imports, the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm launched in 2021, and the deforestation and biodiversity costs of plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Trap: marking statement 1 as true because palm oil is so closely linked with Southeast Asia. Native origin and production hub are different facts.