Palm oil: useful and ubiquitous, it also happens to be one of the most destructive ingredients on the planet.

The industry has been linked to mass animal die-offs, widespread razing of rainforests, displacement of indigenous communities, climate change and pollution . Now, according to a new report , the palm oil industry may also be guilty of exploiting some of its labor force, allegedly exposing workers to hazardous chemicals without adequate protection and turning a blind eye to the use of child labor on plantations.

Even more, these alleged violations may be occurring in the production of sustainable palm oil -- a product supposedly certified as transparent, ethical and environmentally sound, and produced by employees who are responsibly considered.

Unfortunately, these results were not shocking to find because they represent the tip of the iceberg of widespread and systemic exploitation and labor rights abuses taking place throughout the Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil sector, Robin Averbeck, senior palm oil campaigner for the Rainforest Action Network, told The Huffington Post in an email this week.