Why Is Palm Oil Bad For the Environment?
Did you know over half of all products found at the supermarket contain palm oil? It’s currently the most widely used vegetable oil, and its uses expand far beyond food. It’s also an ingredient in makeup, cleaning products, biodiesel, shampoo, soap, and more! However, what complicates things further is that palm oil is not always listed in the ingredients as ‘palm oil’. It has hundreds of alternate names! A quick red flag is an ingredient that contains any of the following in its name: “palm”, “stear”, “laur”, or “glyc”. “Vegetable oil”, “vegetable fat”, or “Elaeis guineensis” could also be synonyms for palm oil.
To give you a clearer idea of the impact the palm industry has on our modern world, here are just a few of the products that contain this common ingredient:
Vegan butter and margarine
Cookies
Bread
Non-dairy creamer
Vegan cheese
Cereal
Roasted nuts
Bread
Peanut butter
Cake
Granola bars
Chips
Salad dressing
Chocolate
Ice cream
Vegetable oil
Vitamins
Soap
Makeup
Detergent
Sunscreen
So, why should we be avoiding this popular and inexpensive oil? The first and most blatant reason is that it is a huge cause of deforestation in various parts of the world; namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and West Africa. These regions are home to various endangered species, including orangutans, elephants, rhinos, and tigers. However, orangutans are the most directly impacted by palm oil production. The widespread forest destruction has stripped these animals of 90% of their home. As a result, over 50% of the orangutan population has vanished over the past 20 years.
Why is palm oil production such a huge cause of deforestation?
Typically, oil palm trees can live around 28-30 years. However, in the face of such rapidly growing demand, the industry cannot afford to wait for nature to run its course. Once a tree grows too high for workers to be able to reach the fruit, it is quickly cut down and replaced with a new tree. This process contributes to rapid deforestation and loss of animal habitat.
Research shows that around 100,000 orangutans have died at the hands of the palm oil industry over the past 16 years.
In What Other Ways Does Palm Oil Impact the Environment?
Not only does palm oil contribute to widespread deforestation in tropical regions, a commonly employed method for getting rid of oil palm trees that are too tall is by burning them down. This, of course, releases carbon and smoke into the atmosphere, and contributes to our climate crisis. However, it also affects the health of humans (and animals) living in nearby areas.
According to WWF, just one palm oil mill can generate 2.5 metric tons of waste for every metric ton of palm oil produced! This waste goes on to contaminate freshwater, which then affects the health of all living beings who drink from, or live in, these bodies of water.
In addition, clearing great expanses of forestland to convert them into palm oil plantations leads to soil erosion. This causes horrible flooding and damages adjacent roads. And to make matters worse, palm oil plantations affected by extensive soil erosion require extra fertilizer; another water contaminant.
Should I Buy Products With Sustainable Palm Oil Certifications?
You may be thinking—“What about sustainable palm oil certifications?” The problem with these certifications is that there is controversy around their effectiveness toward conservation. Some say sanctions and rules are not strict enough, others question their validity. And finally, some activists and scientists insist, “there is no such thing as sustainable palm oil.”
However, as long as products like ice cream and soap are sold at high rates, the demand for palm oil will likely not see a significant decline anytime soon. So, what exactly do sustainable palm oil certifications entail?
One of the most popular certifications is Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) by WWF. The certification criteria for sustainable palm oil differs by country, but must comply with the National Interpretation of the practices put in place by ISEAL (International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling). So, cultural, legal, and economic differences of the country the palm oil is sourced from may dictate the strictness for each product seeking certification.
Some of RSPO’s current main concerns are:
• Assessing carbon emissions and palm planting procedure
• Monitoring the treatment and fair compensation of workers
• Protecting forest areas worthy of preservation
So, by purchasing products with the RSPO certification, we’ll likely be making a better choice for our planet, endangered animals, and workers.
Now that you know why palm oil is typically harmful to the environment, keep in mind that refraining from buying products that contain this extremely popular vegetable oil can be a struggle, to say the least. What’s important is that you do your best to limit your palm oil consumption, so as to not contribute to its increasing demand! Thank you for looking out for the planet and our animal friends. To your vegan success!