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Lipstick, pizza dough, detergents, chocolate — what do all these seemingly unrelated things have in common? Palm oil! Yes, this vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees, has a slew of surprising uses such as foaming, binding and stabilizing.
This “versatility” is exactly what makes palm oil a key ingredient in so many products ranging from food and skincare to household cleaning. Nonetheless, with palm oil accounting for about 33% of global oils produced from oil crops in recent years, many social and environmental concerns started to rise.
The industry has been found guilty of the overexploitation of natural resources, deforestation, violations of human rights, and community conflict. So, unsurprisingly, most eco-conscious connoisseurs decided to stay away from this oil at all costs, BUT is this really the answer? Should we boycott palm oil altogether? No, not when sustainable palm oil is an option.
Demand Sustainable Palm Oil By Choosing Palm Done Right
We, as consumers, can play a huge role in transforming the industry for the better. Traceability and transparency of the entire supply chain should be demanded. This antioxidant-rich vegetable oil is a part of our day-to-day lives. It’s in close to 50% of the packaged products we find in supermarkets. In fact, your grocery list probably contains at least 5 palm-oil-based products right now. Commercially packaged cookies are loaded with palm oil.
Margarine, delicious instant noodles, packaged chocolate drinks, bread, cakes and pastries, cereal – all of them contain at least a small amount of palm oil. Sometimes, it’s even “camouflaged” under different names including vegetable oil, vegetable fat, palm kernel, palm kernel oil, palm fruit oil, palmate, palmitate, palmolein, palmitic acid, palm stearine, palmitoyl oxostearamide, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3. So, who made your palm oil? And, most importantly? Are your favorite, mouthwatering cookies done right?
FAQs about Palm Oil
What is Palm Done Right?
Palm Done Right is a movement created by Natural Habitats to prove that palm oil can be grown for good, and show that when “done right”, palm oil can bring a significant positive impact to the world. The movement aims to elevate farmers from being pawns in the system to being partners in creating a more sustainable, more equitable supply chain.
That’s why the Palm Done Right campaign raises consumer awareness on the positive impact on farmers, forests, and wildlife. Palm oil production and wildlife can coexist. Ultimately, Palm Done Right offers a sustainable palm oil solution that is 100% organic, deforestation-free, wildlife-friendly, fair, and social.
Why are people boycotting palm oil?
It’s no secret that farmers today produce over 70 million tonnes of palm oil each year. The industry sources from millions of smallholder farmers in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. But along with the massive profits come even bigger community conflicts and numerous cases of exploitation and human rights violations.
Furthermore, The WWF reported that about 300 football fields of forest are cleared every hour for companies to turn them into palm oil plantations. The crop needs dry soil to thrive, however, this is exactly what makes the soil extremely flammable which results in many raging forest fires. Most of this land was previously tropical rainforest with many species that are now at risk of extinction including two species of elephant, one species of rhino, and one species of tiger, according to WWF.
The pressing issues of deforestation, erosion, big biodiversity losses, exploitation of workers and child labor must be urgently addressed by us, the consumers, AND everyone involved in the growth and production of palm oil
Can palm oil really be sustainable?
Palm oil can be produced in a responsible manner that not only respects the environment but also the communities where it is commonly grown. But just like in an ethical fashion, sustainable palm oil needs to be closely monitored and verified.
Organic sustainable palm oil is based on responsible production practices which focus on the consumption, reuse, and recovery of existing resources. This means that this zero-waste reuses nutrients fixed in the soil by other plants and crops planted around the oil palms so that it can continue the sustainable cycle while also controlling soil erosion, reducing carbon emissions, and lowering energy consumption.
By choosing certified sustainable palm oil, you can rest assured knowing that set robust policies are in place to remove deforestation, conversion of other natural ecosystems, and workers exploitation.
7 Epic Reasons to Choose Palm Done Right
100% organic
Sustainable palm oil is 100% organic with no preservatives making it last longer! “With a primary focus on cost savings and high volume, conflict palm oil relies on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, and heavy machinery for planting and harvesting,” Palm Done Right explains. Unlike other oil, this is packed with tocotrienols, a form of vitamin E and A – all of which are known for their health benefits including their ability to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase “good” HDL cholesterol. It’s no wonder why it’s also known as “the tropical equivalent of olive oil”.
Fully Traceable
Palm Done Right thrives on traceability and transparency including where palm oil is sourced to where it is first processed. Opting for sustainable palm oil means that you actively take a stand against the exploitation and inhumane practices of the industry while also supporting small-scale farmers who actually care about their communities and wildlife.
Deforestation Free
Palm Done Right ensures that animal habitats and rainforests are preserved by just saying no” to clear-cutting. Instead, they build up degraded land through organically growing palms, often surrounded by other complementary crops, while leaving a portion of the land uncultivated to foster biodiversity.
Wildlife Friendly
Palm Done Right has made it their mission to teach farmers all the necessary info about threatened species and indigenous plants close to their farms. Palm Done Right has also developed programs to protect these species. This initiative gives a huge boost to the local biodiversity.
Fair & Social
Palm Done Right actively helps the local communities by alleviating poverty and building communities through sustainable palm oil farming practices. As they point out, smallholders produce &0% of the world’s food supply, yet represent over 50% of the worlds’ hungriest people. From building and staffing medical clinics to establishing sources of potable water, Palm Done Right tailors programs and initiatives to the needs of each individual community.
This post was all about sustainable palm oil
Ultimately, while the palm oil industry is notorious for exploiting its workers and slowly but surely killing biodiversity, there is a way to take a vocal stand against these horrendous actions. Palm Done Right offers a sustainable palm oil solution that is 100% organic, Fully Traceable deforestation-free, wildlife-friendly, fair, and social. Boycotting this healthy vegetable oil is not the answer, not when you can choose Fully Traceable, organic palm oil that actively helps the local communities thrive, instead.
If you want to learn more about Palm Done Right and its numerous initiatives, head over to palmdoneright.com.
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