Recently I became aware of the shocking issue of palm oil production, and the contribution we are unknowingly making to this industry. 

The industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, child labor and abuse, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses in the countries where it is produced, as the land and forests must be cleared for the development of the oil palm plantations. According to the World Wildlife Fund, an area the equivalent size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour to make way for palm oil production. This large-scale deforestation is forcing many species to extinction, and findings show that if nothing changes species like the orangutan could become extinct in the wild within the next 5-10 years, and Sumatran tigers less than 3 years.

In total, 50 million tons of palm oil is produced annually, supplying over 30% of the world’s vegetable oil production. This single vegetable oil is found in approximately 40-50% of household products in countries such as Australia, United States, Canada and England. Palm oil can be present in a wide variety of products, including: baked goods, confectionery, shampoo, cosmetics, cleaning agents, washing detergents and toothpaste.

I'm sure I would be correct in guessing most people, if given the choice, would choose not to support such an industry. The problem is, product manufacturers are not required to list palm oil as an ingredient. It is categorised as a vegetable oil and in ingredient listings, it is referred to as such. 

We have labeling for product origin, organic, fish/nuts, halal, vegan, the list goes on. Considering the United Nations describes the impacts of this industry to be a conservation emergency and linked to major human rights violations, I believe we as consumers should be able to make the choice to not use a product that contains ingredients derived from such an industry. 

Alternatives to palm oil such as conola oil are not only more beneficial to our health, with canola oil containing 6% saturated fat and palm oil 52%, it would also be beneficial to our established farmers in our own country. 

We want the regulations pertaining to listing palm oil as vegetable oil to change. Product manufacturers should be required to specifically list palm oil as an ingredient if their product contains it.