Petition to tax any product that contains palm oil

We believe in a world where goods that destroy wildlife, forests, endanger species, take part in child labour and child slavery are taxed and ostracised to finally cease to exist and be replaced by healthier and cleaner products. Taxing Nutella would be a first step in the right direction.

Palm oil destroys the wildlife:

Take Nutella for example. It’s a well-known fact, Nutella contains palm oil. However we don’t usually know what it means or what it really is. So palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. As it comes from trees this oil is impacting deforestation and climate change.

Accordingly Nutella is a danger to the environment. Since palm oil is a product in high demand in the industry, the producing countries are planting more and more palm oil trees, which means destroying forests and ecosystems for it. Today, over 12 billion hectares (a third of the area of Germany) are reserved to that production

Nutella then destroys the habitat of already endangered species like the Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino.

It’s easy to switch to another option that is healthier and more respectful of the environment:

By applying taxes, products like Nutella will get really expensive. People will then switch to other options that might be cheaper, and that are definitely healthier. Most alternatives contain less sugar, and absolutely no palm oil, unlike Nutella which is made of over 20% of palm oil.

It promotes small enterprises:

The company that produces Nutella is Ferrero, it profits from low cocoa and hazelnut prices that don’t allow producers to escape poverty. More often than not child labour is necessary to produce the Nutella we’re eating.

Imposing taxes on Nutella would push people to buy from cheaper sources. Here come bio enterprises and fair trade!

Buying organic products from smaller bio enterprises would benefit farmers more equally. There would be less need than to make children work. And third advantage, it would benefit the nation’s economy.

Taxes make more money for the State:

If people keep consuming palm oil products, even with the taxes, it’s still a win situation. Those taxes will go to the State, and considering that Nutella on its own sells 100.000.000 of pots each year in France, and 3 out of 4 families buy some, it represents a significant amount of money. That money can then be redistributed to other fields, like healthcare, education, or any other field.

Health problem:

Moreover (and I know you’re probably tired of hearing it) but palm oil products are BAD for your health! Consuming less of it, or at least a version those products that don't contain palm oil would benefit you and your body in the long run.

It is also proven that palm oil can cause cancer.

By imposing taxes on palm oil products the government would make their society healthier, and preserve the environment, at a time it needs it the most. After all, does a country not want what’s best for its citizens, and the world’s population?

If you too believe in our cause, sign this petition!

Aude SIGWALD and Julie BREL