However, the laborers are subject to low wages for long hours of grueling work. They cut bunches off the tree and leave them along the road or field for later pick-up. Healthy, ethical, sustainable food for all. People havevalued oil palms for thousands of years. These animals may be killed by human error or because they were used as a target by soldiers on both sides of the conflict. How does COVID-19 affect Wildlife Conservation? Worldwide palm oil supply and distribution totalled about 58.8 million tonnes in 2015/2016, and looks set to reach more than 62 million tonnes this year. Palm oil is an important ingredient in the manufacturing of soaps, shampoos, detergents, and toothpaste. The drying out of peatland is one of the main causes of the forest fires that have ravaged Indonesia for decades. Palm oil contains about 50% of a type of saturated fat thats thought to be healthier to consume than trans fats and factory farmed animal fats. Without the ability to repel water and insulate from the cold water, birds and mammals will die from hypothermia. All Rights Reserved. Originally native to South America and West Africa, palm oil plantations have now spread throughout the wet tropics to Papua New Guinea, parts of Asia, Kenya, and also back to countries in West Africa and South America where the palms are native. How does palm oil affect animals? As you can see, palm oil is an . If you wish to go palm oil free, and are in Australia, the UK, Spain, or Austria, you can choose products with the Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme (POFCAP) trademark. Instead, the short-term threat from heavy oils comes from their ability to smother organisms whereas over the long-term, some chronic health effects like tumors may result in some organisms. (It is far less highly processed and has more valuable nutrients left in it.) If these key lowland rainforests continue to be destroyed, we will lose sufficient, viable habitat needed for the survival of this critically endangered species, RAN said. It can also cause blockages in the gut due to its semi-solid state. Oil palm production also leads to an increase in human-wildlife conflict as populations of large animals are squeezed into increasingly isolated fragments of natural habitat. If the whole world is made aware of the detrimental effects of palm oil on the environment, the animals, and the people; the . The problem with palm oil is that vast areas of virgin tropical rain forest are clear cut to open up land for cultivation. In May 2017, Widodo approved a two-year extension to a moratorium on the issuing of new licences for plantations on primary forest and peatland. They ensure the protection of human rights and respect for local ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture practices. Fair use. Sumatran Tiger. Half the packaged food (and other) products found on supermarket shelves now contain palm oil. Palm oil is the most ubiquitous edible oil on the planet. When trees are young, harvesting the fruit is manageable. There are estimated to be between 55,000 and 62,000 Bornean orangutans living in the wild, split into three distinct subspecies. But you can eat many other superior foods to get many of the same nutrients. But theres a dark side to the palm oil industry thats hidden from most of our eyes. And theyre cut down to make room for planting new oil palms. Most of the expansion appears to be occurring on non-forested lands, although research shows that 21 percent of plantations are on land classified as woody vegetation, most notably in the Amazon and the Petn region in northern Guatemala. Calen May-Tobin from the Union of Concerned Scientistssays oil palms store more carbon than any other vegetable oil crop and the typical rotation for an oil palm plantation is 25 years. In 2016, theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the classification of the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) from endangered to critically endangered, citing the main causes of its population decline as habitat loss and fragmentation, primarily for logging and oil palm plantations, along with illegal hunting and fires. Most states have regulations about the specific procedures to follow. Deforestations Toll on Wildlife in Borneo and Sumatra. Archaeologists have evendiscoveredpalm oil in Egyptian tombs. And yet, by no means should palm oil be considered a health food. Image courtesy Wolf Gordon Clifton / Animal People, Inc. Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur-bearing mammals, such as sea otters, and the water repellency of a bird's feathers, thus exposing these creatures to the harsh elements. Itrequires only 0.26 hectares (about 0.6 acres) of land to produce one ton of oil. The IUCN has classified the Sumatran elephant as critically endangered. The establishment of palm oil plantations has been a disaster not only for endangered wildlife such as orangutans and tigers (in Sumatra) but has also exacerbated conflict with local communities in Indonesia over traditional land rights. Sumatran elephants. The organization has developed a set of standards to produce palm oil, , using the principles of regenerative agriculture, They regenerate land that is already degraded or convert existing palm farms to organic, The 4 Scientifically Proven Pillars of Heart Health, 7 Festive and Healthy Mardi Gras Recipes That Are Powered by Plants, Why School Lunches in America Are Unhealthy and 10 Ways You Can Take Action to Improve Them, How to Wash Vegetables and Fruits to Remove Pesticides, How Diet and Good Gut Health Can Help Manage Pain & Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis, 11 Banned Foods Americans Should Stop Eating, Why the Global Rise in Vegan and Plant-Based Eating is No Fad (30x Increase in US Vegans + Other Astounding Vegan Stats). If you believe that your work has been submitted to the Animal People Forum without your permission, please contact info@animalpeopleforum.org, For more information, see The majority of this is happening in Sumatra and Borneo. Copyright and Fair Use, Palm Oil and Animal Rights: How you can combat the destruction of wild animals habitat, Why Ending Animal Agriculture Could Save the Planet. This is a result of unsustainable palm oil extractions and deforestations in their natural habitat. Sea otters can easily be harmed by oil, since their ability to stay warm depends on their fur remaining clean. In 2014, one palm oil company, PT Kallista Alam, was found guilty of illegally burning large swathes of the Tripa peat forest in 2012. Each one includes related planning and response considerations for oil spills which may affect these particularly sensitive organisms and habitats. In between light and heavy oils are many different kinds of medium oils, which will last for some amount of time in the environment and will have different degrees of toxicity. The report states that the massive conversion of Borneos forests for agricultural development primarily oil palm plantations will leave orangutans fragmented and facing extinction in several areas. She points out that palm oil is just a plant crop. The first thing you can do is to lessen the amount, or ideally stop, purchasing products that containpalm oil. According to the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP), at least 1,500 orangutans were clubbed to death by palm oil plantation workers in 2006 alone. The oil palm trees that were mainly grown in Africa during the 1960's were shifted to Southeast Asia in the 20th century. Fuel oils, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, are very "light" oils. Privacy Policy | Get Email Updates | Website Survey If you are purchasing products that do contain palm oil, only buy from companies that use Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO). Contact the customer services departments of companies that are still using uncertified oil and insist that they source deforestation-free, segregated CSPO. Companies can now apply to the Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme(POFCAP), which is approved to certify in Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Austria, and has applications pending in 12 other countries. Almost all oil palm grows in areas that were once tropical moist forests, some of them quite recently. Because of the popularity of this particular ingredient, many people do not even know it exists. The OLT spearheads the PONGO (Palm Oil and NGO) Alliance, which aims to protect orangutan habitat in an oil palm landscape. Much of it had already been deforested for rubber and coconut plantations before being repurposed for growing oil palms. In February this year, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) published evidence of illegal clearance of critically endangered Sumatran elephant habitat within the Leuser Ecosystem, by the palm oil companyPT Agra Bumi Niaga (PT ABN). Other species, including the Sumatran tiger, elephants, rhinos, sun bears, slow lorises, pangolins, various species of monkey, and many birds, insects, and reptiles, are all also hugely impacted by the clearing of forest for oil palms. Fair for Life is another standard to look for. The type of oil spilled matters because different types of oil behave differently in the environment, and animals and birds are affected differently by different types of oil. Palm oil is harvested from the fruit of oil palm trees ( Elaeis guineensis ). Hadisiswoyo says that about 10,000 hectares of the Gunung Leuser National Park have been encroached upon for plantations. Natural forest gives way to monoculture in Peru. Palm oil canbe found in abouthalf of packaged food products on supermarkets shelves as well as in laundry detergents, cosmetics and more. Orangutans are one of the animals most affected by palm oil. To help combat the devastation caused by conflict palm oil, start by reconsidering your own shopping and consumption habits. They were exacerbated by the effects of the El Nio weather phenomenon, which caused a prolonged dry season in Indonesia. In April this year, a female elephant, aged about 12, was found dead on an oil palm plantation in North Sumatra, owned by the Indonesian company PT Perkebunan Inti Sawit Subur and adjacent to the Gunung Leuser National Park. You can log in with the same email you used for older (pre-2018) products at the link above. Deforestation for palm plantations has greatly impacted the world's smallest bear species. The habitats destroyed frequently contain rare and endangered species or serve as wildlife corridors between areas of genetic diversity. This either occurs during the deforestation process, or after the animal enters a village or existing palm oil plantation in search of food. The burning of rainforest lands to make way for oil palms create significant air pollution. This creates conflict between humans and elephants and the animals are often harmed or killed as a result; for example, by falling into snare traps or being poisoned. But the reality is, its still contributing to the destruction of rainforests and the exploitation of workers. For instance, orangutan populations declined at similar rates whether they lived near RSPO-certified or non-certified oil palm plantations. You can easily limit your use of products containing palm oil by using simple substances like bicarb and vinegar for cleaning and handmade soap from small manufacturers, and by refraining from buying processed foods. Clear cutting primal forest is standard practice for the conventional palm industry, which displaces (or kills) native specieslike the Sumatran tiger, the Asian rhinoceros and the Sumatran Orangutanputting them at high risk for extinction. In Indonesia, emissions from the 2015 fires reached 1.62 billion tonnes of CO, Researchers estimate that, on many days in September and October, the CO. As an Amazon Associate FRN earns from qualifying purchases. The requirement for palm oil has resulted in the deforestation of the timber, the loss of species, ecosystems, natural resources, gaseous mixtures, and the quality of water and land. Mitchell says that monoculture crops such as oil palm are poor in supporting species. Take Action Against Export of Baby Elephants from Zimbabwe to China! At most U.S. spills, a bird and/or mammal rehabilitation center is set up to care for oiled animals. Mighty Earth, which, in 2016, produced a report entitled Palm Oils Black Box, agreed to suspend its campaign against Olams oil palm and rubber operations for a year. And this gives rise to a chain of devastating consequences. It's reddish in color, with a distinct odor and flavor. Palm oil plantations are ripping through the heart of the Asian elephant habitat forcing them close to humans and into conflict. We are aware of instances where orangutans have been captured and even killed on plantations belonging to palm oil companies that are members of the RSPO., Protest held by Friends of the Earth Indonesia outside an RSPO meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in 2008. Despite the health risks, the greatest controversy over palm oil surrounds the industrys impact on the environment. Animals in combat zones often become collateral damage for battles between troops or between opposing forces. Oil can also smother some small species of fish or invertebrates and coat feathers and fur, reducing birds' and mammals' ability to maintain their body temperatures. It also produces greater human-wildlife conflict as large animals are squeezed out. First, the large-scale production of palm oil can lead to deforestation and habitat loss for animals that live in areas where palm oil is grown. An area where a crop of oil palm trees is grown. Information and resources shared by FRN are for informational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any type of disease or condition. Hadisiswoyo believes that consumers have the power to push the industry to stop expanding and to implement zero-deforestation practices. By opting in for text messages, you authorize FRN to deliver marketing messages using an automatic telephone dialing system. By entering your information here, you are agreeing to receive messages from Food Revolution Network. By maintaining a healthy balance of cholesterol (both . A person, company, or country that makes, grows, or supplies goods or commodities for sale. Up to 300 football fields of forest are cleared every hour to make room for palm plantations.The power is in your palm. Wildlife habitat is destroyed to make way for oil palms, and animals who stray onto plantations in search of food are shot or poisoned. Today, Malaysia and Indonesia are the worlds largest producers and exporters of palm oil. Whether you chose to minimize the threat that palm oil poses to the tiger through personal consumption choices or by supporting an organization, we can all play a role to help protect the future of this - and many other species. In general, oil spills can affect animals and plants in two ways: from the oil itself and from the response or cleanup operations. This pandemic has affected several continents, and everyone seems to be at its mercies. Fats in palm oil are used as energy, providing essential fatty acids in the diet (linoleic and linolenic acids) that animals cannot synthesize, in addition, palm oil also contains vitamins that meet the needs of the dietary requirements of many different . This is what will really make a difference on the ground, Desilets said. Saturated fats elevate the body's cholesterol levels and build up plaque in the arteries. The coastguard has advised dog owners keep their pets off the beach and on a lead as although the palm oil has been removed "it is possible that more could come ashore". For example, in Indonesia alone, several species of mammals have become endangered. Palm oil companies prefer to clear primary forests, rather than degraded areas or grasslands, for economic reasons. Most palm oil production directly or indirectly harms animals. Palm oil is a popular oil found in many foods. In the Peruvian Amazon, large areas that used to be primary forest are now planted with oil palms. Palm oil is widely used around the world. Palm oil deforestation in Nigeria. For school were doing persuasive writing and mine is about palm oil. Palm oil is a tropical oil that originates from the fruit of palm trees. (Ive even heard it called a superfood. (A mature oil palm tree can grow up to 70 feet tall. Animal People, Inc. holds the perpetual non-exclusive right to distribute all content submitted to the Animal People Forum, in whole or in part, with proper attribution, in any electronic, print, or other medium currently existing or yet to be invented. People shoot them to protect crops, to kill a mother in order to capture her baby to sell, or just for sport.. Local people have been evicted from their customary land holdings and local communities impoverished, leading to much conflict with palm oil concession companies. Oil can also smother some small species of fish or invertebrates and coat feathers and fur, reducing birds' and mammals' ability to maintain their body temperatures. Image credit Climate Alliance org, CC BY-NC 2.0, Palm Oil Free and Sustainable Palm Oil Certification. Deforestation makes wildlife more vulnerable to poaching. Some dogs have become seriously ill after ingesting palm oil. Light oils are very volatile (they evaporate relatively quickly), so they usually don't remain for long in the aquatic or marine environment (typically no longer than a few days). Click here for more options to support Animal People. Theoretically, its possible to produce this oil without deforestation. Click on the image of the animals and it will take you to the page about the animal. How does palm oil affect the Amazon rainforest? Sadly, the term sustainable palm oil is often misleading and even a form of greenwashing.. Wildlife habitat is destroyed to make way for oil palms, and animals who stray onto plantations in search of food are shot or poisoned. To opt-out of ever having your info sold to 3rd parties under any circumstances, click here. More Protein, Better Protein - Sustainable Dish, Homemade Vegan Butter - no emulsifiers & ready in mins - A Virtual Vegan, Orangutans, Palm Oil, and Progress - Pursue News, The Environmental Costs of Palm Oil Production The Orangutan Gang, A Palm oil free Pancake Day! Both of the primates legs and arms were broken and she was severely malnourished. The clear-cut method used of farming the palm tree destroys the southeast Asia forests that they call home and cuts off their food supply. In Sumatra at least 10.8 million hectares have been opened up for palm oil plantations. Healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all. Image courtesy Wolf Gordon Clifton / Animal People, Inc. And if youre going to eat processed foods, look for those made without this controversial oil. And Why Should You Avoid It? But try going a day . Because its incredibly low in cost. Revised: Nov 07, 2022 12:07pm | Site Map | Contact Us | Accessibility | Disclaimer Palm oil is famous for being a major driver of large-scale deforestation of some of the world's largest forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species like the Orangutan, pygmy elephant, and Sumatran rhino. Over time, this results in cardiovascular conditions and can cause a stroke or heart attack. charlie's chapter, Whats the deal with palm oil? The recent expansion of vast monocrop oil palm plantations in Asia, the Neotropics, and Africa threatens large areas of tropical rain forests. Our work depends on it. Producing the edible oil wreaks havoc on the environment, leading to deforestation, habitat degradation, and loss of animal habitat. But its also in pizza, ice cream, breads, crackers,fast foods, cookies, donuts, peanut butter, chocolate, and hazelnut spread (i.e., Nutella), just to name a few. In the U.S., imports rose 352% between 2002 and 2012. How does palm oil affect animals? Exposure to the smoke from such fires is estimated to contribute to 339,000 deaths every year in Africa and Southeast Asia. The move took effect at the end of 2018. 3 minute read July 16, 2014. Most palm oil production directly or indirectly harms animals. i think more emphasis need to be put on the fact that palm oil is the most productive oil per km squared, so banning palm oil would be disasterous because people would just grow another type of oil for use in these products, we need to stop using products that need this type of oil in them, like processed foods. Abortion and Animal Rights: Does Either Topic Lead to the Other? In many cases, elephants have been poisoned by fruit laced with cyanide. Clear-cutting forests to establish palm oil plantations contributes to global warming by releasing excessive amounts of greenhouse gases into the air ( 6, 8 ).. (NOAA), Oiled Wildlife Care Network from the University of California at Davis, volunteering to wash birds affected by an oil spill, different types of oil behave differently, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Refugio State Beach Oil Spill Near Santa Barbara, California, Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA), How Oil Harms Animals and Plants in Marine Environments. While palm oil can be defined as vegan because it contains no animal substances, the industry that produces it is by no means cruelty free. Palm oil is an edible oil that comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). Up to 300 football fields of forest are cleared every hour to make room for palm plantations. POFCAPs Palm Oil Free trademark. The burning of rainforest lands to make way for oil palms create significant air pollution. This is an issue that has serious impacts for people and the environment. First, we should distinguish between "light" and "heavy" oils. The two most affected countries in this expansion are Indonesia and Malaysia, home of the imperiled orangutans. The palm plant thrives in a warm, tropical rainforest climate and is primarily cultivated on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Palm oil is destroying rainforests. While these oils can be very persistent, they are generally significantly less acutely toxic than lighter oils. Panut Hadisiswoyo also urges consumers to pressure the palm oil industry to operate responsibly, rather than simply boycotting the product indiscriminately. Greenwashing: 5 steps to choose truly healthy and sustainable products, Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Your email address will NEVER be shared or sold. According to the nonprofit organization, Rainforest Rescue, oil palm plantations are the leading cause of rainforest destruction in Malaysia and Indonesia. If they spread out on the water, as they do when they are accidentally spilled, they will evaporate relatively quickly. The biggest impact of unsustainable palm oil production is the large-scale devastation of tropical forests. It's sad to see people lose lives, property, jobs, among others. Palm oil is a common ingredient in margarine and processed foods. Boycotting will not do this. But about 85% of palm oil is produced for food. Both are kept separately from ordinary palm oil throughout the supply chain. Contributes to global warming. In a report published in the journal PLOS ONE in July last year, Varsha Vijay et al said that, despite having relatively small plantation areas, countries in Latin America and Africa experienced a greater percentage growth in palm oil cultivation between 2003 and 2013 than Indonesia or Malaysia. Tree kangaroo in Papua New Guinea. Palm oil is everywhere. It comes from the fleshy fruit of palm trees specifically, oil palm trees, aka the Elaeis guineensis tree, according to the WWF. Today, palm oil from many of the RSPO-certified companies is still causing the same problems as non-certified oils. In Papua New Guinea this is done in backbreaking wheelbarrows by long-line labourers. The pressure from consumers demanding sustainability has a strong knock-on effect all the way up the supply chain to the producer and to the delivery of a sustainable product globally, Desilets says. As a result of the expansion of this crop, around 300 football fields of rainforestare chopped down every hour to make way for palm plantations. Since oil palm trees grow in tropical climates near the equator, palm oil has been and continues to be a major driver of deforestation of some of the world's most biodiverse forests. It is widely used in the manufacturing of many products, from margarine to lipstick, biscuits to candles, and chocolate to laundry detergent. And to reduce the risk of toxic contaminant formation, they also refine the oil at lower temperatures. Or if youre concerned about human rights, tropical rainforests, orangutans, or the future of our climate, you now have a few more good reasons to ditch processed foods altogether. Featured image: mother and daughter orangutans Suci and Sri, rescued from hunters on land cleared for palm oil production. Since most oils float, the creatures most affected by oil are animals like sea otters and seabirds that are found on the sea surface or on shorelines if the oil comes ashore. She points out that most consumers of palm oil live in developing countries, where people dont usually have the luxury of choosing which oil they use, either because there are no choices and/or poverty makes the choice for them. Rita Enes/Getty Images The demand for palm oil may cause more animals to go extinct As more palm oil plantations are planted, the more habitats for Sumatran tigers, Sumatran rhinos, and. Palm oil is toxic to dogs and if ingested can cause a fatal reaction. Pingback: Im back & peanut butter (not as vegan as you think) I wanna be a real hero! They made an extremely moving animated ad describing their choice. Researchers estimate that, on many days in September and October, the CO2emissions from the fires exceeded the average daily emissions from all economic activity in the United States. Palm oil and palm oil by-products play an important role in animal feed. Keep an eye on the POFCAP website to keep up to date about the products that have been certified as palm oil free, as well as future expansion of the programme into additional countries. It commonly appears in cooking oils, shortening, and margarine. If People Could Just See This: Upcoming Film Documents Dog Pounds of Southern U.S. Exposing Wildlife Crime: An Interview With Karl Ammann, Minivan Carrying 61 Dogs to Illegal Slaughterhouse Intercepted in Cambodia, Monkey Exploiters Promote a Self-Serving Myth, State Animal Protection Laws Ranked: Maine is #1, New Mexico #50, Beyond Human: Animals, Aliens, and Artificial Intelligence, Col Ford and Natasha de Vere, Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Rainforest Action Network, Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0, World Bank Photo Collection, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. In this hardened state, heavy oils will probably not harm animals or plants that come in contact with them. The industry will still sell to other consumers who do not care about sustainability.. Nearly 200 primate species are found in Africa, many of which are already under threat. Fewer than eight hundred of the primates remain and they are surviving in 1,100 square kilometres of remaining habitat, which is divided into three blocks of forest, separated by roads and agricultural land. Reading ingredients and avoiding processed foods are easy ways to reduce palm oil usage. While it may have some health benefits, its production has major environmental and ethical concerns. A vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruit of oil palms. They regenerate land that is already degraded or convert existing palm farms to organic. Orangutans and elephants are two of the animals most affected by the destruction of their habitat for oil palm cultivation, and by the human-wildlife conflict that results.
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