From the second half of the twentieth century onwards, there has been an exponential increase in the production of palm oil, which has proven to be very versatile; so much so that it has become a common ingredient in many food products, such as margarine, biscuits, bread, cakes, chocolate, ice cream and non-food products such as detergents and cosmetics. Palm oil has also historically been used as a lubricant for machinery and its use as a biofuel in the energy sector has been growing particularly rapidly.