What’s so Terrible About Palm Oil?
If you haven’t heard of palm oil yet, it shouldn’t be all that unfamiliar. In fact, there is a good chance it is hiding in your closets and freezer aisles, and in various forms (for example, it is often used in peanut butter and ice cream). Palm oil is even used for a variety of non-food uses such as soap and crude oil, which are far less appetizing.
Palm oil is everywhere, and the mass market for palm oil has created a demand that is destroying the environment. Just this week, there were reports of an endangered orangutan who was shot 74 times with a pneumatic gun as a result of the invasion of palm oil producers into their territory.
Palm oil production itself destroys land and is often dependent on child labor , and while we cannot change the way we produce it, we can change our buying habits as consumers – and, surprisingly, the trick is not to completely stop using palm oil. oils (we’ll ” I’ll get back to that in a minute).
First, let’s take a closer look at the devastating effects of palm oil in our kitchens and bathrooms and why we use it to start.
So what is palm oil?
Simply put, it is an edible vegetable oil derived from the fruit of palm oil. You won’t find these trees in the US as they often grow in soft rainforests.
There are two types of palm oil that can be obtained from trees: unrefined palm oil (obtained by pressing the fruit) and palm kernel oil (obtained, you guessed it, by grinding the kernel of the fruit).
According to the World Wildlife Federation , 85 percent of the world’s palm oil supply comes from Indonesia and Malaysia, although at least 42 other countries also produce the oil.
What else is it used for?
Take a look at your refrigerator now. Now sit down on the floor and curl up into a fetal position, because what you’re about to hear is not good news – you probably have tons of palm oil and don’t even know it.
To begin with, palm oil is a very popular vegetable oil , especially in Asia and Africa. You are less likely to find it for this purpose in the United States. As mentioned, its other main use is to aid in the production of biodiesel or diesel fuel, which is partially made from vegetable oil.
Now, while you can’t cook or ride with it, here are some examples of foods that use palm oil, according to WWF :
- Instant Noodles (Used to “pre-cook” the noodles. This is why they are so easy to “cook” using only hot water)
- Pizza dough (prevents the dough from sticking to itself)
- Bread (Helps in the baking process)
- Margarine (helps to stay firm at room temperature)
- Cookies (helps improve texture and flavor)
- Chocolate (prevents it from melting)
- Ice cream (helps improve texture and flavor)
- Shampoo (used as a conditioner that “restores” the oiliness of the hair)
- Lipstick (keeps it from melting and is used for texture)
So, unfortunately, this cannot be completely avoided. And often he hides in plain sight. Palm oil and its derivatives are usually disguised as incredibly long names on labels. Here are just a few of them, according to Treehugger :
Elaeis guineensis, ethyl palmitate, glyceryl, hydrogenated palm glycerides, octyl palmitate, palm oil, palm kernel, palm kernel oil, palm stearin, palmit, palmitate, palmitic acid, palmitoyl oxostearamide, palmitylolene-tetrapulphuric acid, palmitolephenol tetrapulfate , sodium lauryl lactylate / sodium sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium palm kernel, stearate, stearic acid, vegetable fat, vegetable oil
And it’s incredible, but this is just a short list of nicknames.
Why do we use palm oil at all?
It’s effective. In fact, it is considered the most effective and versatile vegetable oil on the market for a number of reasons. First, the palm tree can be harvested all year round and actually requires less land than growing a sunflower.
It also provides a number of benefits for consumers. Palm oil can extend the shelf life of foods, withstand high temperatures, and is odorless and colorless, so it will not alter the product it is included in.
Is palm oil really that bad?
Unfortunately yes. Palm oil is partly responsible for rapid deforestation in areas of Indonesia and Malaysia (huge demand has spurred competition between new oil palm growers and the few existing landowners that are the mainstay of the oil palm industry), which does not contribute to carbon emissions. and climate change too. And nutrient-rich soil is often threatened by deforestation and washed away without becoming attached to trees.
And think of all the species affected by the debris of one acre in a small, thriving ecosystem. Palm oil is often cited as the leading cause of the mass extinction of orangutans , which declined from 350,000 in 1990 to around 50,000 (with little chance of survival).
Recently, child labor problems have also emerged as a number of palm oil producers rely on children as young as eight as part of their workforce . Workers are also plagued by problems such as long work hours, big goals, severe injuries and low wages (as little as $ 2.50 a day).
So yes, this is really bad.
I am pouring out all my palm oil now. What else can I do?
Is there a clear solution to the palm oil problem? Not really, to be honest. If you choose to restrict the use of palm oil, it will only cause another set of problems (for example, if we decide to rely on sunflower crops, they will need even more land – at least 4-10 times more. And palm oil requires less pesticides and fertilizers ). A number of environmentalists agree that given the higher productivity of palm oil compared to alternatives, it should not be completely abandoned. It is also an important industry for local farmers and emerging economies in countries like Indonesia.
But, of course, the problem of environmental degradation, terrible working conditions, child labor is still irreparable, so instead of boycotting palm oil, the best solution seems to be to find environmentally friendly palm oil, which should stimulate manufacturers to switch to better products. practice. But even that is still difficult.
Looking for organic palm oil products? Look for a product with a green sticker ” the RSPO” or label “Green palm tree” (this shows that the manufacturer becomes more eco-friendly manufacturing process). Green palm oil producers are vetted by the Green Palm Oil Roundtable, a group dedicated to recognizing those growers who are committed to sustainability and acceptable working conditions. In fact, about 40% of the world’s palm oil producers are owned by RSPO.
But since nothing’s ever so easy, even the RSPO has recently come under fire , with many questioning about the supposed sustainability practices of certified growers (and while searching online for RSPO approved products, some mixes don’t have a label or sticker). Again, there isn’t really a clear answer.
Instead, you can more easily find an RSPO approved brand by checking the ING account of the brands you support, over the deciphering of each label (brands such as Dunkin ‘Donuts and McDonald’s are considered very sustainable, meaning both companies have only used and bought palm oil from those manufacturers.) which are considered “sustainable”).
What am I supposed to do?
While you can’t take any special action, sometimes the best solution is to simply rely on organic (and ethically) grown produce and try to shop better. Hopefully, if we can get businesses to recognize the value of sustainability through our buying habits, it can initiate change. You can also reach out to major brands via tweet or email to let them know that you need products that contain palm oil from responsible sources if they aren’t already using it.
If you want to use a little less palm oil in your life, here is a helpful guide created by Palm Oil Investigations , which has compiled a list of brands that either use or avoid palm oil in their products. According to the chain’s website , all Whole Foods 365 products are also made exclusively with sustainable palm oil. However, you should know that completely ditching palm oil is a near impossible task. Under different names, you will run into problems at some point (if only for the reason that reading each individual label is tedious).
You can also try downloading CodeCheck . It’s an app that will scan all of your foods for palm oil (even with curiously long scientific nicknames).