Hello!

I am a university student currently studying Marine Biology. So I first started looking into this in more depth when I was discussing different environmental topics with my sister (both of us trying to avoid palm oil where possible). She then asked:

“What makes it sustainable anyway?”  

I was unable to give her an answer beyond “It’s certified.”

When I returned back to my flat I kept thinking about it and decided to do some research. What I found was that the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certifies different sources based on a number of factors like commitment to transparency, environmental responsibility, good working standards and planting new trees to counter deforestation elsewhere. On the surface everything seemed positive and that sustainable palm oil was real. But go below the surface you quickly learn that the word ‘sustainable’ is a lie.

Studies have found that ‘In Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea, and discovered that, from 2001 to 2016, about 40% of the area located in certified concessions suffered from habitat degradation, deforestation, fires, or other tree damages’ (Gatti et al. 2018).

In Greenpeace’s ‘Certifying Destruction’ report they found that the RSPO whom we rely on for certification doesn’t limit greenhouse gas emissions from their certified palm oil plantations, don’t prevent forest fires and are reluctant to act when people do breach their requirements. 

But the most important thing that ‘sustainable’ palm oil doesn’t do is PREVENT deforestation!

Most people use sustainable products because they believe they are not aiding in deforestation and habitat loss for orangutans and other key species. However the palm oil labelled ‘sustainable’ by the RSPO comes from land that used to be part of the rainforest. That used to be home to many animals. The RSPO is allowing these plantations to grow, spread and form new farms for the supposed ‘sustainable’ palm oil production and ultimately destroying the habitat for the species we believe we are protecting.

I am asking for all companies who use their RSPO certified status in branding and marketing leading to false beliefs by consumers that choosing their product is helping the environment.

I am asking for those companies to then look at what they are doing to the worlds rainforest and decide to take action. To change their product and use a better alternative to palm oil, if you were wandering there are many options: coconut oil, rapeseed oil, the University of Bath have even engineered an oily yeast substitute that mimics palm oils desired properties. The options are ther, just take one.

Thanks,

Britani Bryce