4 PRODUCTS DRIVING THE DESTRUCTION

ON THE FOURTH DAY OF PEATMAS, THE PLANTATION GAVE TO ME

4 PRODUCTS DRIVING THE DESTRUCTION

Ok maybe we tricked you a little there. There aren’t exactly 4 products with palm oil as an ingredient in them. We don’t have a precise number, but let’s start with this estimate by WWF which says:

Over 50% of all packaged goods on your supermarket shelves have palm oil in them

And what do these products have to do with peatland and tropical rainforest destruction? All the products contain palm oil grown on ex-tropical forest and peatlands (even though some products have tiny amounts, they are still partly responsible for the damage). And as we have shared with you, because for years, companies were/are allowed to just destroy HUGE areas of rainforest and peatlands, as a way to clear cheap land to grow oil palm trees – many of the products and brands we know, love and use have been driving the destruction for years and years. But this has been changing (See Day 8). The key to remember is that palm oil can be grown sustainably, in ways that don’t destroy habitats, burn forests, and drain peat lands.

Palm oil can be found under various names on the label, so don’t think your product is palm oil free just because you do not see the words “palm oil” on the ingredient label.

Check again for “Sodium Kernelate” of “Elaeis Guineensis “ or “Palm Fruit Oil”. ANY of these ingredients can mean that there is palm oil in the product you are purchasing (Spoiler Alert: Check out Day 10) to learn more about spotting palm oil in your products.

So rather than name all of them, how about you take a look at 4 categories of products we use in our everyday lives, and check out the picture below to see the range of products you can find this one ingredient in!

1. Food AND 2. Beverages