Palm Oil

Just when I think I’m really making progress in being animal and environmentally friendlier, someone points something out to me and whoosh…backslide.
I’ve stopped eating dairy most of the time because even on the organic farms, the male calves – a natural by product of keeping a cow in milk – are mostly worthless and sold for veal. Poor little boy calves, it’s not their fault! But it’s the same in the organic chicken and egg industry – what good are the roosters? You only need a few to keep things rolling, the rest are destroyed or raised for sub-standard food purposes.
Anyway, so in my quest to eat as I’ve grown accustomed to I continually look for vegan replacements of food staples, my mission to be able to create any dish in a vegan version. Finding the perfect butter – Earth’s Balance- was a godsend, or so I thought.
One of the primary ingredients of Earth’s Balance, and many vegan cheeses, is Palm oil.
Palm oil is found in around 50% of the products on the market today, including cosmetics and shampoos. It’s been great for the food industry because it’s not hydrogenated yet is solid at room temperature.
But lo, the communities it comes from – primarily Indonesia and Malaysia – have been seriously adversely affected by the greedy companies wanting to grow more and more. In the quest for land they destroy the equivalent of six football fields daily of rainforest. These rainforests supports more than 500 kinds of wildlife which must fight for the constantly diminishing space.
Including orangutans. The only native home for these cousins of ours.
Orangutans shot and killed on sight as their land is encroached upon. Or beaten with clubs and sticks. Retreating orangutans creating overcrowding, lower birth rates and disease.
And the elephants, poisoned by the plantations as the forests are cut.
Not to mention the livelihoods of the locals who depend on the forests or have had their own land raped by corporate greed. Or the negative overall environmental effects of the loss of these forests.
So I am brought back to reality about learning the source of my products. Doing my own homework. I can’t count on anyone else to tell me if a product is friendly to people, animal or earth because they just want my money. They won’t mention it or will flat out lie. Vegan doesn’t mean all-around good and friendly.
And of course, get back to nature. If I don’t eat processed foods I really don’t have to research every ingredient!

Some sources on Palm Oil:

http://nothoney.com/2009/06/15/vegan-cheese-is-just-as-inhumane-as-dairy-cheese/
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89747
http://www.rspo.org/