Palm Oil: What’s The Big Problem?

What else is mankind destroying now, I hear you ask. Oh just the planet – and everything that lives in it.

The destructive effect of the palm oil industry has been highlighted in recent years. Its extraction and production is associated with deforestation, habitat dilapidation, climate change, animal abuse and the displacement of indigenous people in the countries where it is farmed, such as Borneo and Indonesia. This is because unscrupulous companies are, often illegally, burning forests and land to make room for the development of palm oil plantations.

So many people are understandably frustrated that palm oil continues to be used in so many products we use on a daily basis.

What Is Palm Oil

Palm oil is derived from the fruits of trees called African oil palms. The trees, which originally came from west and south-west Africa, were brought to Indonesia and Malaysia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

African oil palms grow naturally in tropical rainforest regions, but due to excessive demand from large corporations, they also are being planted and farmed purposefully to produce more palm oil.

What Is Palm Oil Used For?

Tens of millions of tonnes of palm oil is produced each year and accounts for around 30% of the world’s entire vegetable oil production. It is found in around 50% of household products in the UK, such as confectionary, baked produce, cosmetics, toothpaste and cleaning agents – to name but a few.  Make no mistake – palm oil is a big and lucrative business.

Why Is Palm Oil So Controversial?

Palm oil is relatively cheap, commands a high yield and is a versatile crop so it’s no wonder corporations love it. However, the World Wildlife Fund estimates an area roughly the size of 300 football pitches of rainforest is cleared every hour of every day to allow room for palm oil production. Wow – that is well and truly off the scale.

Due to the magnitude and impact of deforestation, many species will be pushed to extinction. Pictures of orangutans and Sumatran tigers are synonymous with mentions of palm oil and there’s a valid reason for this: if deforestation continues at the rate it is, the orangutan will become extinct in less than 10 years and the Sumatran tiger will be extinct in three years’ time.

What Can We Do About This Atrocity?

An atrocity, it certainly is. We have to stop buying products from companies that demand excessive amounts of palm oil and have no issue with unsustainable farming methods when there are alternatives on offer. After all, much like the ivory trade, if there was no demand for it, then this destruction wouldn’t be happening.

But It’s Everywhere!!

Let’s face it, it is very difficult to avoid palm oil completely in products we buy. Sometimes it isn’t even stated as “palm oil” on the label. Other words for palm oil include: Aluminium Stearate and Oleic Acid. There are actually approximately 200 alternative names for palm oil so. The best thing is to do a web search on any ingredients you’re not sure of.

It’s All About Education

We need to educate ourselves on how, we as consumers, are contributing to this mass destruction of wildlife, the abuse of indigenous people who are forced to move out of their homes because the land is literally being burned down, and the detrimental impact upon climate change due to the harmful emissions through the burning of the land.

Put simply: as people become more environmentally aware, the more businesses will have to adopt more sustainable farming methods because people will not buy their irresponsibly and illegally sourced products.

Are There Any Sustainable Farming Methods?

Yes, there are. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has certified more than 20 percent of the global palm oil supply. This means that this palm oil has been produced through methods that preserve natural resources and safeguards the forests and rivers that wildlife inhabits.

It’s entirely possible for companies to use palm oil that has been sustainably produced or to use another type of vegetable oil. Both alternatives will cost the companies more which would then be passed to the consumer, but I’m sure we wouldn’t mind paying a little bit more for those corn chips or toothpaste if we know orangutans have not lost their habitat and their lives due to its production.

To view a list of sustainable companies and products, take a look at The Act For Wildlife website.

How Can We Help?

Keep an eye out for the RSPO label on a product, which confirms that it contains palm oil derived from sustainable sources. Also check for the Green Palm logo. Proceeds from Green Palm assist growers to pay for the transition to sustainable oil. So, if a product contains palm oil but these labels are nowhere to been seen on the packaging, don’t buy it.

The power we have through social media use and our spending choices has never been greater. We must use these powers to put an end to the demand and use of negligently and unsustainably sourced palm oil.

So what is the problem with palm oil?

Its unsustainable and unscrupulous farming methods are just one of the reflections we have of our consumer-driven society. Intense factory-farming and global warming are just a couple of others. This world will not change until we change. We must educate ourselves and then others and not fuel unsustainable farming methods with our poor choices when spending. We can do this!