Palm Oil

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree which flourishes in tropical conditions. No other crop can yield even a third as much oil per acre planted; and along with using less land, the oil palm gobbles up significantly fewer pesticides and chemical fertilizers than coconut, corn or any other vegetable oil source. It’s versatility, low price, long shelf life, and lack of trans-fats make it a popular alternative to other oils in the food, cosmetic and biofuel industries. Globally we’re consuming over 50 million tonnes each year and it’s in half of all packaged products sold in supermarkets.

Palm oil’s big problem has always been the jungle-covered terrain where the tree is grown. It’s native to Africa, but Malaysia and Indonesia now produce 85 percent of the world’s supply. The cheap production costs and growing demand for palm oil have placed pressure on palm oil-producing countries like Indonesia to rapidly expand their oil palm plantations and ramp up their production processes. They do this by clearing vast areas of old-growth (and virtually irreplaceable) rainforest to make way for their plantations. This often illegal deforestation threatens the fragile rainforest ecosystems and destroys the habitats of critically endangered species including orangutans, elephants, and tigers, releasing 100 times the greenhouse gas of conventional forest fires. And demand is growing: By 2022, the global market is expected to more than double in value to $88 billion.

Palm oil development contributes to other problems such as Indigenous rights abuses, modern-day slavery, child labor, and climate change. And the new road networks give poachers and wildlife smugglers better access to areas of forest where they capture and sell wild animals as pets, use them for medicinal purposes, or kill them for their body parts.

In response to the palm oil crisis, criteria were put in place to certify certain palm oil as sustainable. There are products that contain oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, and these can be used without contributing to the clearing of jungles. An important criteria item states “no forests which support significant life and fragile ecosystems or areas supporting cultural communities can be cleared”, yet some critics argue that the RSPO, founded in 2004 by industry leaders, doesn’t go far enough: Its standards forbid deforestation only in “high conservation value areas,” a term that has no legal definition. And a trader who earns an RSPO certificate can go on to mix “clean” and uncertified oil. What’s more, the world’s largest palm oil markets are in India, China, and Indonesia, where most consumers who use it for cooking may not even be aware of such options.

What can I do to help?

As consumers, there are important steps we can all take to reduce our contribution to palm oil deforestation and live a more natural, ethical and sustainable life.

Taking that little bit extra time to make informed choices and use products that don’t contain unsustainable palm oil in their ingredients is a small sacrifice for us, but for the future of wildlife, it means the world.

1. Shop Responsibly – You can choose to make informed shopping choices and buy products that are palm oil-free or which use responsibly sourced palm oil from plantations where growth has been managed. Look for products and manufacturers that are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to identify products that use palm oil. Some countries, like Australia and New Zealand, allow palm oil to be labeled simply as ‘vegetable oil’. Generally, if the saturated fat content in a product is around 50 percent, it’s likely that the ‘vegetable oil’ is actually palm oil. Palm oil and its derivatives can appear under many other names like ‘Sodium Laureth’ or ‘Lauryl Sulphate’ which makes it difficult (but not impossible) to shop sustainably.

2. Use Your Voice – Support palm oil labeling, sign petitions, and write to companies and manufacturers that use palm oil in their products, urging them to source sustainable palm oil or remove palm oil from their ingredients completely. Don’t underestimate the impact your voice can have – companies will pay attention and make changes when they see unsustainable palm oil products are an issue that consumers care about.

3. Travel Sustainably – Promote sustainable travel that benefits local communities, protects wildlife and minimizes your impact on the environment by choosing to explore the fragile and undisturbed rainforests of places with genuine ecotourism operators.

 

 
Sources:
~ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/giving-up-palm-oil-might-actually-be-bad-environment-180958092/
~ http://www.takepart.com/video/2016/04/18/problem-palm-oil
~ https://www.orangutantrekkingtours.com/orangutan-blog/palm-oil-products-are-killing-orangutans/