Palm oil?

[wildr0se2]

So I’ve been researching the debate about palm oil. I honestly feel overwhelmed because apparently palm oil can be hidden in products and named as other things. I don’t want to contribute to harm by consuming it, but I also don’t want to stress about perfectionism. Any insight on this? I hope this is the right place to post this.

 

[silva]

I'm skeptical of what they call 'sustainable' palm oil. Not sure about it being named other things though, I'll have to look into that
I can't say I 100% avoid it, but in things I buy regularly I do--like I make vegan mayo and find it's a great sub for vegan butters.
It is in so many things, and yet another good reason to try and keep wfpb

 

[Lou]

It IS in so many things. It's pretty much impossible to avoid it entirely.
I just TRY to minimize my use. So when its in a product I was planning on buying, I TRY to find a similar product that is made without it.

I don't think I ever seen a product that has a certificate of sustainabile palm oil. However I frequently seen products that are certified vegan or have a WWF certification or a rainforest alliance certification and I'll try to buy those instead.

 

[juliii]

So I’ve been researching the debate about palm oil. I honestly feel overwhelmed because apparently palm oil can be hidden in products and named as other things. I don’t want to contribute to harm by consuming it, but I also don’t want to stress about perfectionism. Any insight on this? I hope this is the right place to post this.

Palm oil is really tricky because it’s in so many products, often under different names like “vegetable oil” or “glyceryl.” It’s tough to avoid completely without stressing too much. One way is to focus on buying products certified by groups like RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) that aim to reduce environmental harm. Also, choosing whole, minimally processed foods can help cut down on hidden palm oil. Don’t worry about being perfect - every small step counts!

 

[jalan]

Hi there, I try to avoid palm oil, though as already mentioned, this deceptive society we live in can disguise it… I do know that the natural Orangutan habitat in Indonesia is cleared for palm oil production and so many other species are also being affected.

 

[Graeme M]

I have recently returned from visiting Malaysia. We stayed at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge on the Kinabatangan River in Sabah (which is on the island of Borneo). We saw wild monkeys, elephant and hornbills and also visited the Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre. What surprised me is that I thought we were deep into the rainforest but it became apparent that the jungle really is only a strip a couple of hundred metres deep along the riverside. After that, it's palm oil plantation as far as the eye can see. Driving from the Lodge to Sandakan took about two hours; all the time surrounded by palms. The industry is massive. Our guide explained that the government is doing more to keep the industry from expanding further and developing programs of restoration, animal habitat retention and so on, but the industry is pretty essential to the local people who work in the industry and related activities. He felt that it would be harmful to the local economy to close it down.

So, can palm oil be sustainable? I guess in the sense that we can limit/mitigate the worst impacts but looking at all those palm trees, it's sad to realise how much natural habitat and wild populations have been lost. I don't think we should stress too much over trying to avoid every bit of palm oil though - all we can do is our reasonable best to minimise how much we use. At some point the rest of the things we do every day dwarf what little palm oil we might still use.

By the way, the Lodge offered great vegan options which really surprised us. Our favourite taste was sauteed river fern!!

 

[jalan]

I have recently returned from visiting Malaysia. We stayed at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge on the Kinabatangan River in Sabah (which is on the island of Borneo). We saw wild monkeys, elephant and hornbills and also visited the Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre. What surprised me is that I thought we were deep into the rainforest but it became apparent that the jungle really is only a strip a couple of hundred metres deep along the riverside. After that, it's palm oil plantation as far as the eye can see. Driving from the Lodge to Sandakan took about two hours; all the time surrounded by palms. The industry is massive. Our guide explained that the government is doing more to keep the industry from expanding further and developing programs of restoration, animal habitat retention and so on, but the industry is pretty essential to the local people who work in the industry and related activities. He felt that it would be harmful to the local economy to close it down.

So, can palm oil be sustainable? I guess in the sense that we can limit/mitigate the worst impacts but looking at all those palm trees, it's sad to realise how much natural habitat and wild populations have been lost. I don't think we should stress too much over trying to avoid every bit of palm oil though - all we can do is our reasonable best to minimise how much we use. At some point the rest of the things we do every day dwarf what little palm oil we might still use.

By the way, the Lodge offered great vegan options which really surprised us. Our favourite taste was sauteed river fern!!

View attachment 33022

The demand for palm oil, which is a part of many products, is the issue. Each aware person can help by reading labels and avoiding items that contain palm…