Is palm oil hiding in plain site?
Palm oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the fruit and seeds of the oil palm and it is everywhere – in our foods, cosmetics, cleaning products, and fuels. Displacement of indigenous peoples, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity are all consequences of palm oil consumption.
What is palm oil good for?
Day after day, huge tracts of rainforest in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa are being bulldozed or torched to make room for more plantations, releasing vast amounts of toxins into the atmosphere. With their CO2 and methane emissions, palm oil-based biofuels have three times the climate impact of traditional fossil fuels.
Deforestation caused by palm oil production also affects animal populations. The production of palm oil has driven the orangutan, Borneo elephant, and Sumatran tiger to being classified as critically endangered. Just as bad, smallholders and indigenous people who have inhabited and protected the forest for generations are often brutally driven from their land. In Indonesia, more than 700 land conflicts are related to the palm oil industry. Human rights violations are everyday occurrences.
As consumers, we are largely unaware of these broader issues, yet our daily palm oil consumption also impacts our health: refined palm oil contains large amounts of harmful fatty acid esters that are known to damage DNA and cause cancer.
Tips to recognize, avoid, and combat palm oil
- Opt for home cooked meals more often.
- Read the labels (the app PalmSmart is a good guide).
- Use your voice. Ask retailers for palm oil-free products. Write to companies. Raise awareness and create public pressure.
- Write to those in office and participate in campaigns.
- Stay informed and share with others. Spread the word.
A few common names disguised as palm oil
- Palm Kernel Oil
- Palmitate
- Elaeis Guineensis
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Stearic Acid/Stearate
- Hydrogenated palm glycerides
- Palmolein
- Sodium kernelate
Full list of names and more info here.