Laura Carolan - My Blog

action against palm oil

Hey Guys!

Below is a letter I drafted to companies who use Palm Oil. Below that I have included some websites and email addresses for fellow Australians to contact. PLEASE feel free to use this and also to give any feedback and more addresses to contact.

Thanks, Laura xo

To Whom It May Concern

As a once-regular consumer of products such as yours, I was shocked to learn that half of all packaged foods in Australia now contain palm oil. What is even more unbelievable is that it is hidden under the label “vegetable oil”, as well as other misleading names.

According to Choice Australia Online (http://www.choice.com.au/), “Palm oil contains more than 50% saturated fat… and The National Heart Foundation of Australia recommends avoiding palm oil”.

Not only is it bad for our health, but it’s killing our rainforests and it’s inhabitants too. Palm Oil is “widely considered to be the greatest immediate threat to forests and biodiversity in South-East Asia, with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) predicting that by 2022, the palm oil industry could wipe out 98% of Indonesia’s remaining forests. In Malaysia, from 1990 to 2005 more than a million hectares of forest were cleared for its production, accounting for most of the country’s deforestation during this period.”

And let’s not forget the extreme environmental impact – “Clearing and burning forest for oil palm plantations also creates massive greenhouse emissions. This pollution is far worse where plantations are established on peat bogs, which release huge amounts of carbon when drained and burned. Deforestation caused almost 12% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions in 2008, and oil palm is recognised as one of the largest driving forces behind this land-clearing.”

In light of all this, I ask that you please label which products contain palm oil so that as an ethical consumer I may make my purchases knowing that I am not contributing to the destruction of rainforests. Better yet, label products which do not contain palm oil as ethical alternatives, and I know you’ll see sales rise as a result of this.

Yours sincerely in hope,

___________________

CONTACTS:

*Arnotts: consumers@arnotts.com

*Kelloggs: http://www.kelloggs.com.au/Pages/ContactUs/tabid/260/Default.aspx

*Kraft: http://www.kraft.com.au/Functional/ContactUs.aspx

*Mars: http://www.mars.com/global/contact-us.aspx

*Nestle: https://www.nestle.au.simplicitycrm.com/editors/content.aspx?config=contactus

*Pringles: http://pringles.com.au/en_AU/Pages/ContactUs.aspx

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Comments

Spob
March 20, 2011 | 9:32 PM

responses
KRAFT response:

"...Kraft Foods is committed to working with all of these stakeholders to develop a viable supply of sustainable palm oil.

We do not buy crude palm oil. We buy fats derived from palm oil that suppliers source predominantly from Malaysia and Indonesia, and to a lesser degree from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and West Africa. Kraft Foods purchases less than 0.6% of worldwide production, and we use palm oil in a range of products, including crisps, cookies, crackers and chocolate.

...Kraft Foods is purchasing GreenPalm certificates and RSPO-segregated certified sustainable palm oil to cover part of our use of palm oil, and increase these volumes going forward as sustainable palm oil becomes more available.

Although Kraft Foods is not a member of the RSPO, we support its goals and efforts...

Here in Australia and New Zealand, we have removed palm oil from the chocolate recipe of our Cadbury chocolate block range and at the end of this year will have removed palm oil from the chocolate of all Cadbury chocolate products, including bars, boxed chocolates and food service chocolate. In Australia and New Zealand, we have also purchased RSPO Green Palm credits for the entire Kraft Foods Australian and New Zealand supply chain to help continue to support the sustainable palm oil industry..."

Spob
March 20, 2011 | 9:34 PM

P&G response
"Procter & Gamble supports a moratorium on the illegal conversion of High-Conservation-Value (HCV)-designated forests for the production of palm oil. This approach is consistent with the principles and criteria set forth by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which has been largely-embraced as an industry-accepted, responsible practice.

P&G remains fully-committed to the sustainable sourcing of palm oil and its by-products. We have followed the work of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) since its inception, through FELDA (Federal Land Development Authority) our joint venture partner in Malaysia.

...We also encourage and reward sustainable and responsible behavior on behalf of our suppliers. P&G buys its palm products from a variety of reputable sources with the majority of these products originating in Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's two largest palm oil producers, with the majority of suppliers being members of the RSPO.

...Our partners and suppliers have strict policies in place ensuring they do not initiate nor contribute to illegal deforestation practices and/or behavior, based on the laws in place in the specific country or region in which they operate. They are also strictly adhering to RPSO-specified criteria in the selection, designation and protection of High-Conservation-Value (HCV) forests in both existing and proposed plantation sites. In addition, our suppliers also have "zero burn" policies in place, forbidding the use of fire for site-clearing, and they follow RPSO criteria concerning the selection, use, and allowable depth of peat-lands for use in the planting of palm plantations.

In summary, we share your concerns regarding illegal deforestation practices. We continue to support and advocate the need for sustainable behavior as it relates to the sourcing of palm oil and its by-products with all of our suppliers and partners moving forward."

Spob
March 20, 2011 | 9:36 PM

Arnott's response
"While Arnott's Australia New Zealand (ANZ) uses only a small amount (less than 0.05%) of the total 40 million metric tonnes(1) of palm oil produced annually, we are committed to playing our part by sourcing sustainable palm oil that avoids deforestation.

Arnott's ANZ believes the most effective way to do this is to:

1. Reduce overall usage of palm oil
From August 2010, Arnott's ANZ will decrease its current palm oil usage by approximately 25 percent by replacing palm oil with alternative oils across a number of products. The Company will remain committed to identifying opportunities to further reduce usage of palm oil on an ongoing basis.

2. Source certified sustainable palm oil
Working closely with its palm oil supplier, who is an active member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), Arnott's ANZ is targeting the use of 100% certified sustainable palm oil, if available, by 2015. Commencing 2011, the Company will take a gradual approach to achieving this target, shifting around 20% of its supply(2) each year, if available, to certified sustainable palm oil.

You may also be interested to learn that Arnott’s commitment to sourcing sustainable ingredients goes beyond palm oil. Recently, we started working with Fairtrade Australia New Zealand to source only Fairtrade-certified cocoa from West Africa. Fairtrade-certified cocoa prohibits the use of the worst forms of child labour and empowers cocoa producing farmers to build a better and brighter future for themselves, their families and communities."

Peace2Peace
October 13, 2011 | 6:25 PM

Do you know than almost all product companies use the palm oil? it is getting worse and worse every year. and consumers should stop it. we should think about our health and environment. it is a global problem - cheap palm oil I mean

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