The smoke wafting from fires in the tropical forests of Indonesia—forming plumes big enough to blot out the sky in Malaysia and Singapore—is a reminder of a global supply chain run amok.

Whereas the devastating fires burning in the Amazon rainforest were set largely for cattle ranches that feed the global beef supply, officials say that 80% of the fires in Indonesia are being set to clear land for palm oil plantations. Palm oil is found in a huge number of products lining the shelves of grocery stores: everything from infant formula to chips to shampoo and toothpaste. And much of the global supply comes from Indonesia, the largest palm oil producer in the world. The country supplied 56% of the world’s palm oil last year.

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