8 Reasons Why Palm Oil Deforestation is a Disaster For Our Planet

As we are rapidly discovering, the choices we make in our grocery carts affect our entire planet. One of the cheapest, most efficient crops on the market, palm oil, is in roughly 50% of the products we consume—biofuels, shampoo, pizza dough, shampoo and, yes, even some plant-based dairy products. And it is having a catastrophic effect on our planet.

milkadamia, makers of a full line of macadamia nut-based milks, creamers, butter and oils, has made palm oil awareness a major part of their It’s R Choice campaign, which showcases how we as consumers can make decisions with our wallets that will directly benefit the health of the planet.

As we approach Earth Month, we think that the devastation to the planet and to the inhabitants, both human and animal, of Southeast Asia is something that needs to be widely publicized.

8 REASONS WHY PALM OIL DEFORESTATION IS A DISASTER FOR OUR PLANET (AND FOR ITS PEOPLE)

• The farming of palm oil is directly responsible for one soccer field of rainforest being lost every second https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2018/jun/27/one-football-pitch-of-forest-lost-every-second-in-2017-data-reveals

• Malaysia, where palm oil deforestation is rampant, has lost roughly 90% of its original rainforest lands, most of which have been lost in the 30 years since we began consuming palm oil in so many products https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-the-last-of-the-rainforest/

• Palm oil is directly responsible for the well documented abuse of workers as well as grievous child labor violations https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-only-on-ap-indonesia-financial-markets-malaysia-7b634596270cc6aa7578a062a30423bb

• Much of the land being destroyed in Southeast Asia is land that the indigenous peoples have lived off of for centuries https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/22/indonesia-indigenous-peoples-losing-their-forests

• Palm oil is destroying the habitat of endangered species like the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/petitions/905/malaysia-pygmy-elephants-poisoned-for-palm-oil

• Palm oil is unhealthy for our bodies—50% of palm oil consists of saturated fats which lead to high cholesterol and heart disease https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/best-worst-oils-health/

• Big Food is trying to sell the fallacy that there is such a thing as “Sustainable Palm Oil”  https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q4/purdue-study-sustainable-palm-oil-doesnt-make-the-grade.html\

• Palm oil is efficient and cheap, meaning it’s not going anywhere unless we act https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/19/palm-oil-ingredient-biscuits-shampoo-environmental

Change often comes on a macro international level but often times the genesis of this change begins on a local micro one. You might have seen the recent story about one Girl Scout troop outside of New York boycotting the sale of their cookies after they learned they were made using child labor in Indonesia and Malaysia. Can a group of young girls bring this issue to light in a way that governments can’t? We wouldn’t bet against them.