Problem with Palm Oil
Hello, Friends!
I know many of you have heard me speak about the problem with palm oil, but since it is Earth Day, I just wanted to touch on this subject a little.
1) What is palm oil? Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil that is used in many foods, drinks, and cosmetics.
2) What is the problem with palm oil? Corporations are burning the native forests of primarily Indonesia and Malaysia to make room for palm oil plantations – they also use logging in some cases. This process leads to deforestation, which has devastated orangutan populations, as well as many other species, including tigers, rhinoceroses, and elephants. It also causes erosion and smoke that pollute the air and waterways, which is harmful to the native animals and the people who live in those areas. It is estimated that Sumatra has lost 85% of their native forests to this process in the last 50 years.
3) What can I do about it? The good news is that you can help by shopping smart! Try to avoid products that use non-sustainable palm oil and contact those companies. Many corporations rely on brand loyalty, so if enough people express their displeasure, they may be motivated to change their practices.
4) How can I tell if a product uses sustainable palm oil? Because palm oil can be hidden under many different names, it can be tricky to identify a good product from a bad one. However, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has created a free app for your smart phone, which allows you to scan a product’s bar code and it will tell you how that company ranks in terms of palm oil use (Excellent, Good, Needs Improvement). You can also check product boxes for an RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) logo; the logo signifies that that company is committed to using sustainable palm oil.
We’re all in this together, friends. Every little bit helps! Please feel free to share this post.
Guys, seriously. It’s so easy to avoid products with non-sustainable palm oil. People just need to care!
I’ve seen a social media post circulating recently about non-sustainable palm oil in Oreos and it seems a lot of people are unaware of this serious problem! Time to roll out this post again. Remember, we’re all in this together and every little bit helps! Please check out the free app to help you avoid products that use non-sustainable palm oil!
