Shoppers' thirst for palm oil threatens to wipe out orangutan

[PaulaFarrell]

The demand for a cheap ingredient found in thousands of products, from shampoo to biscuits, is contributing to the extinction of the orangutan, warn conservationists. One in 10 mass-produced foods on Britain's shelves is estimated to contain palm oil, a bulking agent and preservative, but supermarkets and food manufacturers have been accused of doing too little to ensure their supplies are not threatening forests that are vital to the survival of Asia's only great ape.

An estimated 5,000 orangutans are killed each year in Malaysia and Indonesia by the burning of vast tracts of virgin forest to supply the world's growing demand for palm oil. Building roads to the plantations has made the situation worse, by opening up the jungle for poachers, who kill orangutan mothers and sell their babies as pets to Asian families.

WWF, formerly the World Wildlife Fund, estimates that 80 per cent of orangutan habitat has been lost in the past 20 years. Experts warn that at current rates of deforestation, the orangutan will be extinct in the wild in just 12 years. Its disappearance would set a dismal precedent for the survival of other endangered animals such as the polar bear and the tiger.

"The orangutan is one of the monkeys closest to us. We still have a lot to learn about them," said Mark Attwater of the Orangutan Foundation.

Dr Willie Smits, of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, said the loss of the orangutan had hastened in the last three years, "and palm oil plantations take the brunt of the blame".

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article570195.ece

I really don't think shoppers are crying out for palm oil - it's the food/cosmetics manufacturers to blame.

[lapfog_1]

1. Palm oil is also one of the highest per acre

production crops of bio diesel

Sigh.

[NNadir]

5. Well, I think a monster truck is worth at least one species of ape.

[AllieB]

2. You're right-it's a cheap ingredient in processed foods.

It's also not good for you.

[Dora]

3. It's healthier than hydrogenated oils.

I use Spectrum brand organic palm oil shortening for my baking, rather than vegetable shortening. Palm oil can also be sustainably produced.

Added on Edit:

Here's some info from the Spectrum website. http://www.spectrumorganics.com/index.php?id=269
-snip-

Spectrum chose to partner with DAABON for several reasons. We wanted a superior organic palm oil product to produce our Organic Shortening, and, as with all our supplier decisions, we wanted to work with people who were committed to being stewards of their community and the planet.

DAABON's farms are located in the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia on the western slopes of the Santa Marta mountain range. All are certified in accordance with international third party certifying agencies and have obtained social and environmental certification through such organizations as S.A. 8000, Eco-Cert, Proforest and Bio Suisse. It's clear that DAABON is proud of their role in creating a sustainable model for the palm industry. As Granados says, 'The commitment of DAABON to social responsibility has gone from the stage of a challenge to that of a consolidated reality.'

DAABON impacts local communities by allocating a percentage of their export revenues to fund social projects in Santa Marta, and aids in the activities of their workers' welfare association. They are also part of the Productive Alliances, working together with small farmers to create a sustainable model.

One of the reasons DAABON is able to make such a large impact on an entire industry is vertical integration. They are the only company in the world that has vertically integrated their palm oil production from seeder to farming, harvesting, mechanical pressing, physical refinery and finally to end products. By being directly involved in all stages of the process, DAABON is able to ensure not only the quality of their product, but the treatment of their employees and the land.

[baby_bear]

4. Is your statement based on trans fats in hydrogenated oils?

I agree if so. Palm oil is saturated so isn't a source of trans fatty acids.
If I deduce what your point is, palm oil when used in a heated (baked, or
fried, presumably) manner is a healthier choice than any oil with double
bonds (unsaturation).

Am I reading you correctly?

b_b

[Dora]

9. That's correct.

I'd much rather consume a saturated fat from an organic source than a trans-fat laden hydrogenated shortening derived from corn grown using contemporary factory farming methods.

I'm not a chemist, I'm just following my instinct. I believe that the fewer steps between the food source and me, the better.

[blindpig]

6. Monocultures are biological deserts.

I've been to a million tree palm plantation in Trinidad, might as well have been pulp wood in SC, very little biodiversity, virtually a wasteland compared to the native vegetation.

[hunter]

7. This is just one reason I oppose many biofuel schemes.

If the expansion of biofuels is not carefully regulated many species will become extinct, and it's also likely people will starve in places where the poor have very little political power. Growing fuel for affluent people is much more profitable than feeding poor people.

[blindpig]

8. Exactly.

I'm on board with biofuel derived from waste but the rest is a bad deal and more of the same old shit.