A palm oil alternative made from yeast could help reduce rainforest loss and make palm oil production more sustainable. Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt have developed a biofermentation process that enables yeast to produce palm-oil-like fatty acids in a fermenter. Using acetic acid from wood and food waste, they recreated the composition of natural palm oil after thousands of experiments. The resulting oils could be used in cosmetics, detergents and other products. The next step is scaling up production with industry partners. The technology could reach the market within five years.